Crown and Anchor
by Nilladriel
Summary: One Monday morning, Naruto answers the door to find one Uchiha Sasuke asking him for a date. The problem is, they've never even met before. SasuNaru AU.
1. Chapter One: Hello Baby

**Crown & Anchor  
**by Nilladriel

_This idea hit me like a big, yellow school bus. I had enormous fun writing this first chapter, so I hope you enjoy it!_

**Chapter One: Hello Baby**

It was Monday morning, and Naruto had a hangover that was gleefully drilling away at his vestigial sanity. Also, it was seven, and some bastard was ringing the doorbell. Naruto didn't know who it was, but that didn't matter anyway, because he was going to kick the bastard's ass.

He probably had to get up first, though. And he would. Just... not now.

The doorbell rang again, cheerfully sending a fresh stab of agony through his skull. "Shut the fuck up!" Naruto yelled. Croaked. Whatever. Not near loud enough for anyone to hear him, anyway, much less any idiot standing outside his door.

Naruto rolled out of bed. His head narrowly missed the corner of the bedside table. His shoulder landed on some book--one of Jiraiya's, right.

There was a water bottle. It was half-finished and lying right next to the cardboard box where he kept all his porn. Naruto lunged for it like a cat pouncing a mouse, except that he hit his head against the low frame of the bed.

"Fuck you," he said to it. The bed was undaunted and victorious, having left a small red line across his forehead. Naruto made a face, sat up, and struggled with the water bottle. He sniffed at it. Well, not too bad. It couldn't be more than a week old and anyway, water was water, he had a hangover, and some asshole was still ringing his doorbell.

Fifteen minutes later he was decent, or at least mildly less murderous, and he even had clothes on. Naruto tugged at his hair, like it might make it any less an appealing nesting site for birds, and pulled the door open.

"_What_," he bit, and stopped.

The man on the other side of the door looked stunned. Poor bastard probably hadn't expected Naruto.

Then Naruto frowned. He didn't know the guy. "Who the fuck are you?" he said, very slowly. The words came out blurry anyway.

The man scowled, like he was trying to force his eyebrows to crawl across his face and attack each other. In one hand he had a piece of paper. In the other was a plastic container. There were donuts in them. Naruto's favorite kind, too, the orange ones with the chocolate sprinkles. Naruto stared at them.

"Go out on a date with me," the man said suddenly. Naruto looked at him. He had very dark eyes.

Naruto squinted at him. "Did we meet last night? Because I was probably drunk. So if I promised you any dates or blow-jobs or anything, I take them back."

If anything, the man's scowl deepened. Naruto watched in fascination. Didn't frowning that much hurt?

"Go out on a date with me," the man repeated. Each word was pulled slowly and painfully from his mouth, like teeth.

"I just told you," Naruto began.

"We didn't meet last night," the man said, looking exasperated, like Naruto was the one being idiotic. "Look. Just... go out on a date with me."

He really was good-looking, Naruto thought. Hair with so much gel it spiked up everywhere like a dead porcupine, a jacket that probably cost as much as Naruto's shitty two-room apartment, eyes that would've been really pretty except for the angry eyebrows. Exactly Sakura's type, in fact.

Hm.

"Fine," Naruto said. "Meet me today at nine at that coffee place by the river, the one with all those dumb flyers stuck to the window. And give me those donuts," he added.

The man looked slightly stunned, like he hadn't expected his plan to work. He held out the donuts with a dazed expression. Naruto snatched them from him.

"What's your name?" he said.

"Uchiha Sasuke," the man replied.

It sounded vaguely familiar, but Naruto's brain was still pounding like a jackhammer at his skull. Also, he wanted to eat the donuts. "Cool," he said. "I'm--"

"Uzumaki Naruto," the man named Uchiha interrupted.

Naruto wondered if he was a stalker. "Right," he said. "I'll see you at nine." He closed the door gently, which was kind of anti-climatic, but hey. Headache. Anyway, he got donuts.

He set the plastic container on the table. With one hand, he opened it, reaching for a donut. With the other, he reached for his cell-phone, an old flip that was two-and-half years old and covered in cheerful blue-and-orange stickers.

After a moment, there was a click, and then: "Naruto, I'm going to rip your balls off," Sakura murmured sleepily.

Naruto grinned. "Good morning, Sakura. Hey, are you busy today at nine? Because I have this really big favor to ask you...."

Fifteen minutes later, he'd set the stalker up on a date with Sakura, who was really goot at scaring people away. Not that he'd ever tell her that, she'd be heartbroken if knew that the reason she was single was because potential boyfriends tended to be fucking terrified of her, but, well, it was useful. And if anything bad happened, well, there was still Lee.

Contented with life and his breakfast of donuts, Naruto wandered to the bathroom. He squinted at his expression. The mirror was cracked, which made him look like the monster kid from _the Fifth Child_. Even without the crack, though, Naruto guessed that he looked pretty horrible. Geez, and the guy had wanted to go on a _date_ with him.

Naruto checked his breath and wrinkled his nose. Yeah, okay. He liked to think he was pretty good-looking, or at least that's what Sakura had said, once, back when they'd tried dating. They'd both been busy, and they hadn't seen each other often, which was actually probably the only reason the relationship had lasted as long as it had. As soon as their schedules had started clearing up, things had gone to shit pretty quickly. Naruto had the scar to prove it.

Oh, well, at least they were friends. And, hey! Naruto had just set her up with a total beefcake. Sakura totally owed him.

His cell phone alarm went off. It was officially seven thirty, and a Monday, and Naruto had school and exactly twenty minutes to get ready. He made a final face at his reflection and reached for one of his toothbrushes.

* * *

"You're late," Iruka said flatly when Naruto ducked through the door, looking sheepish and ducking around the desks like he was running an obstacle course.

"Traffic," Naruto returned, and held out a plastic cup of cheap coffee. He was a smart man. Iruka glared at him, but then, it was a Monday. Naruto could sympathize. Maybe Iruka hadn't been woken up by a freak stalker, but you never knew what could have happened to someone else on Monday mornings.

"Anyway, I have a free block on Monday mornings, remember?" Naruto said, after Iruka had drained the cup and possibly regained at least a bit of his usual kind congeniality. He turned his body slightly to the left, using it as a shield, so Iruka wouldn't try to get at his own cup of coffee.

"That doesn't excuse your tardiness," Iruka said.

Maybe Naruto should have given him more coffee. "Yeah, yeah," he said dismissively. "You'd never guess what happened to me this morning," he added quickly before Iruka could work himself into a lecture.

Iruka frowned at him, maybe because it was too early in the morning for him to properly process subject changes.

Naruto gave him an expectant look.

"No, I would never," Iruka sighed. "What happened?"

"Some guy asked me out on a date!" Naruto exclaimed.

Iruka frowned. He looked down at his plastic coffee cup.

"It was really weird," Naruto went on, conveniently ignoring Iruka's disbelieving expression. He put his bag on his desk and began looking for the black book where he kept his teaching plans. "I'd never seen him before, but he knew my name and everything. And, uh, where I lived." He frowned. "Think he could be a stalker?"

Before Iruka could answer, Naruto said, "Hey, have you seen my book? You know, the big black one with all the papers stuck in it."

Iruka blinked at him. "Naruto," he said, slowly, "he could have been a spotter."

"Huh?" Naruto said.

"Burglary, Naruto," Iruka said, and sighed, and looked profoundly disturbed when Naruto just waved his hand, his nose still stuck in his bag.

"Nah," he said, "they always check the upscale places, they're more worth the trouble. I should know, I used to--hey! Found it!"

Naruto popped up, prize in hand. He was beaming.

"It's too early for this," Iruka said after a moment, apparently unable to face such unnatural cheer on a Monday. He threw his paper cup into the trash can in disgust, grabbed a seemingly random stack of papers from his desk, and left the teacher's lounge, leaving Naruto to puzzle at lesson notes he'd written down months ago.

* * *

When Naruto's phone rang during third block, the class predictably broke out into giggles. Naruto broke off mid-rant, frowned at his pants, and dug for his cell phone. It was an unfamiliar number. He flipped it open anyway. "I'm in the middle of class, but I can--"

"You stood me up."

There was a pause. Naruto finished writing out the word "modernism" on the white board and then put the marker down.

"Uchiha?" he said, incredulous.

"You _stood_ me _up_," Uchiha said, very slowly. "And who was that--that--"

"What did you expect? I have work," Naruto said, rolling his eyes. "It's Monday, you selfish bas"--he looked out at the expectant class--"person. Anyway, Sakura is perfectly nice!"

"I wanted to go out on a date with you," Uchiha snapped. "Not some pink-haired--"

"Watch it," Naruto said. "Sakura's my best friend."

There was a silence. Naruto imagined he could hear Uchiha grinding his teeth over the phone, and felt the familiar warm, soft feeling he got in his stomach whenever he was pissing someone off.

"Besides, I don't even know you." He tapped a finger against the white board, thoughtful. "Okay! How about this! You have five minutes to convince me, right now, to go on a date with you."

He cupped his hand over his phone and looked out at his class. "You're dismissed, by the way," he said cheerfully.

Konohamaru just looked at him incredulously. "You have a love life?" he said.

Naruto threw the marker at him. The students practically ran out of class, giggling and throwing him constant looks as they left. Naruto made sure Konohamaru was the only one looking back before he flipped the little brat off.

"You have three minutes and forty seconds left," he told the silent Uchiha, once the classroom was empty. "Just so you know."

And then: "Two minutes and twenty-seven."

"I fell in love with you the moment we met," Uchiha said, very suddenly, in a tone that suggested he'd just admitted to committing murder.

"Two minutes twenty-two," Naruto said. "That's great, Uchiha, except that, um, we've _never met_. Try again!"

"Your favorite food is ramen," Uchiha said, speaking very quickly, like he'd just now realized, _hello_, two minutes left. "You don't have a favorite kind because there's too many brands and flavors. You hate soda, but you've liked milk ever since you were little. Your favorite color is orange. You hate the rain, and you love roller-coasters."

Naruto sat down. His stomach rolled. "How do you know all this?" he said.

"I told you, I--"

"Fuck," Naruto said, "you really _are _a stalker. Congratulations, you've just turned me permanently the hell off. Don't call me again. Don't meet with me. I have a friend with the police."

"Naruto, wait--"

"It's Uzumaki," Naruto said sharply, and hung up.

"Holy shit," he said to the empty chairs surrounding him, and then thunked his head against the table. Then he frowned.

"Hey! I hate milk!" he said, head snapping up. No one answered him. Across the room, a pastel sketch of Albert Einstein looked thoughtfully at him, like he was the answer to the universe's mysteries. He made a face at it. If Einstein wasn't going to give him any clues to Uchiha's fucked-up mind, he sure as hell wasn't going to do the guy any favors.

He had maybe seven minutes before lunch officially started and all the decent food in the cafeteria began to run out. Hm.

He'd started to call Sakura when he noticed the long list of messages in his inbox. They were all from her. Naruto felt dread settle in the pit of his stomach. Shit. Uchiha seemed like a total bastard, and now that Naruto thought about it, he'd been pissed about the little stunt Naruto had pulled. And he'd just sent Sakura to him, like that! He winced, preemptively, and selected the first message.

_HES CMPLETELY HOT!_

Naruto stared.

_HES SO NICE_

_OMG NARUTO THX 4EVER_

And then, exactly five seconds before Uchiha had called: _WE JST SPLIT I HAD TH BES T TIME EVER_

Naruto scrolled through the messages again. _HES SO NICE_ came with a picture: Sakura and Uchiha, standing together and looking at Sakura's phone. Uchiha was smiling. It looked nice, but completely unnatural, mainly because Naruto kept thinking about the way the bastard scowled. Sakura was beaming. Sakura's scarf, the one he'd bought her a week before they'd broken up, was wrapped around the both of them.

Naruto had the sudden feeling that the situation had just gotten even more screwed up, and it was _all his fault_.

* * *

Sakura was waiting for him when he reached home. There was food on the table, which made Naruto pause.

She only cooked when she was pissed at him, mostly because she knew she was so bad whatever she made invariable induced food poisoning. Maybe, he thought, he'd interpreted her messages wrong? It'd happened before! And, and, anyway, Uchiha was such a bastard, there was no way--

Sakura punched him. "It's leftovers from lunch," she said, and smiled, putting one hand on her hip.

Naruto carefully checked his arm. It wasn't broken. Good. "Um, right, I just, you know...."

She wasn't listening, though, already pulling mismatched plates from his cupboards. "Oh, Naruto, Sasuke was so nice! I had such a great time." She beamed up at him. "And he's so, so...."

"Um, right," Naruto said, feeling guilty. "Look, Sakura, about Sasuke--"

She turned to look at him. Her eyes were very green, and there was a ribbon in her hair. She was smiling, and, fuckfuckfuck, Naruto had never really fallen out of love with her. "We, uh, don't really get along," he said, stumbling a bit. "But, um, you know, I'm really glad for you."

He smiled, or at least pulled the corners of his up. Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, Naruto," she said. "That was actually pretty cool." And then she was hugging him. Naruto stared wildly down at her.

She sprang away before Naruto could do anything, actually twirling like some ballerina to the table. "We're meeting up again in a few days," she said, and began scooping a generous helping of shepherd's pie onto the orange plate. "I can't wait."

Naruto slid into the seat. It wobbled under him. "So Uchi... Sasuke was nice, huh."

"How come you've never mentioned him?" Sakura said, looking at him in a way that clearly said she'd caught his slip. "Sasuke said you've known each other since you were seven."

"Oh, right, well," Naruto said. He suddenly felt sorry for his students. He probably had the same deer-in-headlights look they always got when he tested them with questions. "Well, like I said, we don't really, you know...."

"He said you were his closest friend, though," Sakura said.

Naruto stabbed viciously at his shepherd's pie. "_Were_," he stressed.

Holy fuck, Uchiha was a stalker, and he'd just went and completely fooled Sakura.

There was a way out of this, surely. He could fess up, tell Sakura who Uchiha really was. What if she got hurt? Maybe Lee had taught her martial arts, and okay, maybe she was strong enough that she'd broken his arm once, but....

You are a coward, Uzumaki Naruto, he thought to himself, and made himself smile at Sakura's radiant expression.

* * *

The most important thing about the park was that it was a public place, but at the same time, the people were scattered far enough away that they could have privacy, too. Naruto chose a bench a few meters away from the playground, so that if he had to scream or call for help or anything, there would be a shit ton of mothers available to come rescue him. As a teacher, he knew mothers were probably the most terrifying creatures to ever exist. Worse than stalkers, even.

He was dressed in a plain, bright blue jacket and boots. No gloves, but he was regretting that. It was October, and Naruto hated the cold.

When the scarf was dropped into his lap, Naruto jumped.

"You can wrap your hands in that," Uchiha said tonelessly.

Naruto hated to admit it, but Uchiha looked what Sakura would have called _damn fine_. He wore a red shirt, which always made Naruto look like a walking traffic light, but it fit Uchiha. Wordlessly, Naruto accepted the scarf. He didn't bother saying thanks.

"This isn't a date. Just so you know," Naruto told him.

Uchiha's eyes narrowed, and for a moment Naruto froze, feeling like a caught mouse. There are mothers nearby, he reminded himself. They could tear him a new asshole easily just by talking. God knows they do it all the time to me.

"I wanted to talk about Sakura, actually," Naruto said.

Uchiha looked even more displeased at this, but he didn't say anything.

"You, uh... met with her yesterday."

"Because you tricked me," Uchiha hissed, like it was his fault Naruto had outsmarted him.

"I told you, _work_," Naruto said.

"It's a Tuesday," Uchiha said. "Or do you not have work to do?"

"What, you don't know my job?" Naruto said. "Damn, so I guess you're not that good a stalker."

"_I'm not a stalker,_" Uchiha hissed.

"Then how the fuck did you find my address?" Naruto hissed back. Fury was bubbling up, hot and heavy in his chest, so that his hands and ears felt like they were burning. He dropped Uchiha's scarf on the bench and stood up. "How the fuck do you know my _name_? Why do you know my favorite food and color? _Explain that, Uchiha._"

His words were quiet and furious, but only because there were children nearby, and he was a teacher, and some habits just stuck. Still, he wanted to yell. More, he wanted to punch Uchiha in the face for somehow managing to be such a fucking annoyance.

Uchiha had stepped back, eyes widened. His gaze was fastened on Naruto's face, and his cheeks were tinted red, maybe in anger.

Naruto opened his mouth, snapped it shut. He was breathing too hard. He took a step back, too, and sat back down on the bench, wrapping the scarf around his hands again.

"You really don't remember," Uchiha said.

Something in his tone made Naruto jerk his head up. Uchiha sounded like he'd just been punched in the gut. Or been hit by a stream of bullet-words, maybe.

Not angry, though. Definitely not angry.

Hurt.

Naruto stared, fascinated despite himself. Uchiha sounded like Moegi did, after Konohamaru and Udon had just picked on her again, but his face was perfectly still, like the muscles were marble-frozen. "Remember what?" he said, carefully.

Uchiha looked down at Naruto--no, at his hands. "You still don't like the cold, I see," he said.

"Urgh, you freak," Naruto said, and dropped the scarf. "Look, would you please just stop being such a creep and just tell me what the fuck is going on?"

"It's fine," Uchiha said. "I didn't realize you really didn't remember. We were childhood friends, by the way. You can keep the scarf."

He turned around.

"I don't want it!" Naruto yelled at him, except by that time, Uchiha had walked out of the park and disappeared behind a line of cars. He kicked the scarf viciously.

"Fuck you," he told it, and then looked around guiltily. Luckily, no one was in earshot.

There was a NO LITTERING sign nearby, bright-green and stern. It was the only reason Naruto bent down and picked up the scarf, stuffing it into his pocket. It was soft, and a simple brown, but it looked expensive.

He should probably go back to school. He'd begged Hinata into covering, but....

Damn. Who was he kidding? If he went back, he'd end up snapping at the kids and none of them deserved that, except maybe Konohamaru. Shaking his head, Naruto turned towards home. Ramen. That was what he needed. Ramen and maybe a lot of alcohol, except it was a weekday, and if he started drinking in _this _mood he wouldn't stop until he was completely shit-hammered.

And he hadn't asked Uchiha to cancel his date with Sakura, either. He'd meant to. Well, maybe Uchiha would on his own. It sounded kind of like he'd given up. And even if he didn't... Sakura was a great girl.

It would work out, somehow.


	2. Chapter Two: Crash

**Crown & Anchor  
**by Nilladriel

_I apologize in advance for the infodumping in this chapter. Hope you enjoy it anyway! And thanks for the reviews, alerts, and favorites, everyone, I really appreciate them. _

**Chapter Two: Crash**

Thursday mornings were always tough, because--

"Oh," Konohamaru said as Naruto walked through the classroom door. "You're not late."

Naruto glanced up at the clock. It was exactly eight. "Hey!" he said. "You're right! Okay, you get to clean up today, then."

Konohamaru's mouth dropped open. "What?"

Naruto dumped a plastic bag onto his table. The contents thunked musically, and Naruto beamed at the class. Some of them straightened in their seats, curious, but most of them knew better by now. Konohamaru's eyes narrowed; it made him look like a wary pig.

"You guys ever seen the Mummy?" Naruto said conversationally as he began to empty the bag out. "Hands up if you haven't."

"Nooooo," Udon said, and sniffled, his slanted eyes huge behind his bug-eye glasses. He raised a hand, or at least an elbow. Slowly, other students followed suit.

For a moment, Naruto looked distraught that half the class had actually raised their hands. Then he sighed, shook his head, and said, "Wow, okay, then. Move over to the right. The rest of you, go stand against the wall at the left, there."

Chairs shrieked at the floors, tables grunted, and, after the students had figured out right from left, the class was divided.

Naruto smiled. "Today," he said, "you guys are going to learn all about _body wrapping_. Try not to suffocate each other."

Moegi raised a hand, frowning. "Shouldn't we be learning more about modernism?" she asked.

Naruto looked offended. "Whatever. You haven't seen the Mummy," he said, imperiously. "By the way, you're the demonstration dummy. Arms out!"

Moegi stared. The rest of the students shifted, looking suspicious.

"No, seriously, you guys," Naruto said. "It's either this or an essay."

It was kind of sad how easy it was to get them enthusiastic, really. Naruto didn't see how Iruka had such a problem with it.

* * *

Moegi and Udon stayed to help Konohamaru clean up. They gathered stray materials and sheets of plastic and stuffed them in a trash bag while Naruto supervised, cup of cheap coffee in hand.

"Thanks, you guys," he said. "Would you mind bringing it to the stora--"

"_No_," Konohamaru said. "Do it yourself!"

And this was why he hated Thursdays. Konohamaru and early hours just didn't mix, kind of like Sakura and cooking. Naruto dropped his cup into the trash. What had he ever done to deserve a brat student like Konohamaru?

... A lot, sure. But at least he'd never been to jail--

Well, at least he'd never been to jail for more than a few days, anyway.

I should calmly diffuse the situation, Naruto thought. I'm a teacher: I'm the mature one. Pushing him will only make it worse.

"You always this rude to your teachers?" Naruto asked, because pushing Konohamaru was also a lot more entertaining. Besides, no one had ever accused Naruto of being mature.

Konohamaru straightened, bringing himself to his full height of a hundred and fifty centimeters. "Just you," he said. "We're late to class, anyway."

"I'll write you a note," Naruto returned.

"Fine. We just don't want to do it," Konohamaru snapped.

"We don't?" Udon asked.

"_Shut up_," Konohamaru hissed out of the corner of his mouth.

Naruto slid off the desk. "You know," he said, "I could give you detention, but there's no way in... no way I'm staying after school to baby-sit you. You're cleaning up next class, too."

Konohamaru opened his mouth; Moegi kicked his shin, and Udon dragged him out. Damn. Naruto felt a small flash of guilt. Whatever he punished Konohamaru with, Moegi and Udon were sure to stick with him. He figured he could just tell them to stop, but it was sort of enduring.

Naruto had never had a friend that would stick with him like that, not when he was young. Konohamaru was lucky to have _two_.

Right. Now, what was the messiest activity he could think of that would need a shit-ton of cleaning up...?

* * *

"Ten missed calls from Sakura," Naruto announced to everyone. Since Hinata and Iruka were currently the only other teachers in the lounge, this wasn't a lot. It was the end of the day, and both students and teachers had fled. And Iruka was grading papers like a madman, so Hinata was the only one to look up, smile politely, and say, "That's a lot."

"Yeah," Naruto said. "She's got this date with this guy, probably wants to tell me all about him." He frowned. "You know what? I don't even know why that bastard pisses me off so much. I mean...."

He trailed off.

"Hey, why does Konohamaru hate me so much anyway?"

"He doesn't hate you," Hinata replied immediately, and then frowned, trying to figure out just how many times Naruto had just changed the subject.

Meanwhile, he'd flipped open his cell phone. Just one message from Sakura this time: _GOT SMTHING FOR U MEET OUTSIDE_

That was good, really. Naruto wasn't all that fond of messages from Sakura; the capital letters always yelled at him.

"Konohamaru's just... energetic," Hinata said. Naruto glanced up at her. Hinata was a new teacher; the night before they met, Neji had called him up and told him to please be her friend, she needed one. Naruto would have befriended Hinata anyway. She was quiet and scared of everything, but she always smiled at him, which was nice.

"He's a brat," Naruto said, glancing back down to his cell phone screen.

"He's well-behaved in my class," Hinata replied, sounding unsure. Naruto, who was willing to guess most guys _loved_ Hinata's class and probably her generous breasts, just grinned. Hinata ducked her head, suddenly concentrating hard on her work.

_i knew you loved me_, he told Sakura, and snapped his flip phone shut.

"I'm out," he said, standing up.

Iruka looked up suddenly, his expression that of a scarred survivor who'd just fought his way through that special hell known as student essays. His gaze zeroed in on Naruto, whose immediate instinct was to blurt, "_I didn't do it._"

"What?" Iruka said, and frowned. He waved his right hand, which seemed to have frozen about a red pen. "No, no, say hi to Sakura for me."

"Right," Naruto said, slowly, and left.

It was strange how empty schools always were just minutes after the final bell had rung. Sakura was waiting, as promised, just outside the battered gate. She was in a lacy, rust-colored skirt, and she was wearing more make-up than usual.

"Here," she said, and held out an envelope.

"What? No food?" Naruto said.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "It's from Sasuke," she said. "He told me to give it to you."

Naruto looked down at the envelope. It was a stark, prim white, with no-nonsense edges and corners sharp enough to cut. When he turned it over, he saw his name printed in a careful, almost mechanical hand.

"What's inside?" Naruto asked.

"I didn't open it," Sakura said defensively, which probably meant she just hadn't had time to.

Naruto stuffed the envelope into the side-pocket of his bag, feeling vaguely guilty about wrinkling it.

"By the way, we're going out tomorrow night. Coming?" Sakura asked.

"You and Sasuke?" Naruto asked. "You guys sure are spending a lot of time together all of a sudden."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "We just happened to hit it off really well," she said, and frowned. "Really, why do you dislike him so much? He's so _nice_. He asks about you a lot, you know."

Naruto mirrored her expression. There was something about that last sentence that really bugged him, but before he could say exactly what, Sakura said, "So, come on, go out with us tomorrow."

Naruto thought fast. "Sorry," he said, "but I'm going to start the advanced class on oils soon so I've got to go order supplies."

"Wouldn't that be faster by phone?" Sakura said, looking surprised.

Naruto had no idea. "Well, okay, _I _want to pick some stuff up, too," he said. "Maybe I'll join you guys later, though. Where're you thinking of heading?"

"Oh, probably one of the places by the river," she said.

Right. Now Naruto knew which places to avoid. He plastered on a grin. "You're here to give me a ride home, right?" he said.

Sakura laughed and hit him with her purse. "Yeah, yeah. Really, what would you do without me?"

* * *

The envelope lay on the kitchen table, glaring at him throughout his healthy dinner of instant ramen.

If it contained a love letter, Naruto was going to shoot himself. Or at least Uchiha. He tapped his chopsticks against the side of the bowl, sighed, and abruptly stood up. He had lessons to plan... and, right, he still needed to think up something really messy for Konohamaru.

He glanced back at the envelope.

I'm not a coward, he thought to himself. It's a fucking envelope, Uzumaki. What the hell do you think's inside? A bomb?

He snatched it from the table and retreated to his bedroom. He didn't bother turning on the light, because it flickered and whined. Instead, he shoved back bright orange curtains to let in as much of the artificial street-light in as possible, and then settled onto the bed.

Even after being stuffed into his bag pocket, the enveloped looked prissily pristine. He ripped it open viciously.

It was a packet of photographs.

They were pictures of the old house, back when he'd still lived with his Dad. He recognized the forest that had invaded their backyard, the battered car up front that coughed and wheezed every time they took it to town.

In photos, his Dad was always serious. He hadn't been home a lot, so Naruto had grown up a fiercely independent kid. He didn't remember being lonely, though. Maybe his Dad had been there just enough--

Naruto reached the fourth photo and paused.

It was a good picture--his Dad sitting on the hood of the car, so that it squatted because of the weight. Naruto in his lap, distracted as a cat with a butterfly. They had the same blue eyes and were dressed nearly identical, black shirt and jeans, except that Naruto was barefoot, and his toes stuck out like neon pink bulbs.

It wasn't that strange a picture; it might have fit right in with the album Naruto kept under his bed, for when he missed his Dad.

Except that Naruto had never seen it before.

And, seated primly in front of the car, was Uchiha Sasuke. He was the only one staring straight at the camera. His hair was slightly less wild--less product in it, maybe--but the eyes were the same, dark and terrifyingly focused.

There were more--he and his Dad in the kitchen, cooking or at least setting some poor, innocent chicken on fire, and then Uchiha, off to the side but definitely _there_.

The garden, on the swings, his Dad behind both of them.

The car again, Naruto looking earnestly at his Dad, one hand clutching his shirt, the other holding Uchiha's wrist.

In all of them, Uchiha was always staring directly at the camera with that frighteningly intense expression, like behind them twin fires were burning. Slowly, Naruto put the photos aside. That was when he noticed the very last photograph, except it wasn't a photo at all--a copy, Naruto realized, printed on cheap printer paper folded twice over.

It was just him and Uchiha this time, his Dad nowhere in sight, which unsettled him. All of his pictures had Dad in them, so this one... just didn't seem right. They were sitting in the garden, chubby hands linked, dirt on their skin and clothes. Naruto was laughing, and Uchiha was watching him.

Underneath, in that ridiculously neat handwriting, Uchiha had written, _Just one date. You don't remember this either, but you promised._

"Fuck you," Naruto said. He crunched the paper up into a ball and threw it into the trashcan by the bathroom door.

The others, though, he neatly tied up and inserted just inside the cover of his photo album. His Dad was in them. That meant a lot.

* * *

And that should have been the end of that, except that it wasn't.

It was all Uchiha's fault, of course. Naruto couldn't stop thinking about the photos.

Naruto's own collection, with the baby-blue cover and softened corners, was a gift from old man Sarutobi.

When they first met, Naruto had called Sarutobi a _fucking old bastard_. Screamed it, really. Later he modified it to just _old man._ It stuck.

As long as they didn't interact, they got along. Sarutobi didn't mind the rude names, the swearing, or Naruto's general attitude, but he'd disliked Naruto's Dad--enough to make sure Naruto only kept on a bare amount of the things they'd owned together. Naruto still didn't know where Sarutobi had stored the rest of his and his Dad's belongings, or if he'd even kept them at all.

And then he'd stopped Naruto from attending his own Dad's funeral.

The memory still burned. He remembered being twelve, dressed in a too-neat, ironed shirt and proper slacks, and Sarutobi looking pained, saying: "There are some people you should never meet, Naruto, and many of them will be at your father's funeral."

Naruto had yelled and screamed. Broken out of the house and landed on shattered glass. Security caught him. He'd tried four more times and similarly failed, until he knew the funeral was over, he couldn't go, he'd missed his own Dad's funeral and he'd hated Sarutobi for it.

Just two weeks later, Naruto was sent away to private boarding school. He'd immediately made friends with everyone at the bottom of the barrel: Sakura, the scholarship student; Neji, the bastard Hyuuga child; and Kiba, the son of criminals. And, later, even Gaara, at least until he'd been convicted of manslaughter.

The photo album had been an apology. It'd arrived the day he graduated, wrapped in cheap brown paper. Naruto had cried when he'd seen the photos, because he didn't remember much about his Dad. Didn't remember anything, really, not anymore.

There'd been a phone number written carefully on the last page. Naruto had ripped it out, but he'd kept the album.

He'd kept the album and always, always, always wanted more. More photos, more memories, more _anything_.

And there was a way to get it all, now. All Naruto had to do was ask.

But he didn't want to, because Uchiha didn't belong. Uchiha didn't belong in Naruto's past, in Naruto-before-twelve, in Naruto-and-Dad, even if the photos said he did. Because Naruto didn't remember him, didn't know him at all, and that--

--that meant other things as well, about what Naruto knew about his past, about his Dad, and he couldn't--

"I can't do this," Naruto said, and dropped the marker. "You know what? I can't do this."

He looked out at the class. There were only five minutes left to fill, anyway.

And then, after that, three more shortened blocks to fill, because they liked cramming everything in on Fridays.

He dismissed the class, went to his desk and shoved thick books about art history aside. When Konohamaru's damned class filtered in minutes later, they found him still there, head cradled in his arms.

For once, Konohamaru's voice was normal, not snotty and annoying, when he said, "Mr. Uzumaki? Are you okay?"

Fuck you, Naruto thought, and then, Wait, no, that's not right.

"I need a drink," Naruto said, maybe in reply.

No, no. He needed to--do something.

Yeah. Okay. A plan--or at least an idea--was forming in his mind. Naruto sat up, slowly.

He looked at Konohamaru. "Your last name's Sarutobi. Please tell me your grandfather's the Prof. You know? Old man, smokes more than an addict? Give me his number."

Konohamaru's expression immediately soured. His features scrunched together, all heading toward his pug-like nose. "What--"

"Just _give it_, Konohamaru, and you've got a get-out-of-jail-free card for the rest of the month."

"Fuc--awghMOEGI," Konohamaru said, when Moegi stamped on his foot. He grit his teeth, though, and pulled his cell phone out. Naruto grinned at him.

"Thanks," he said, and meant it.

* * *

Saturday night, Naruto finally worked up the nerve to call Sarutobi. He sat on the wobbly chair, shifting back and forth so he could thud out a rhythm with the chair legs. A pile of dirty dishes glared accusingly at him while he waited for Sarutobi to pick up.

"Good evening. Sarutobi speaking."

Naruto stilled, swallowing. It's just Sarutobi, he reminded himself.

Still, he couldn't help the twisty feeling in his gut, like a hangover that had migrated from head to stomach. "Hey, old man," he said quietly.

"Naruto?" Sarutobi said, voice suddenly a lot quieter.

"Yeah. Um, surprise." Naruto grinned weakly.

"How have you been?" Sarutobi said.

"Fine!" Naruto replied quickly. "Listen, I need a favor."

"You haven't called in a long while, Naruto," Sarutobi admonished. What he meant was, You've never called me before, Naruto.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry. But, listen, do you know that album you gave me? There're more photos than that, right? Could you send them over?"

At first, Sarutobi didn't answer. Naruto curled his free hand into a fist and took careful, deep breaths. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Don't get angry--don't get scared.

"If I did have them, I would gladly send them to you," Sarutobi finally answered, voice carefully regretful. "I'll double-check for you, of course, but I don't remember them at all. Naruto, you--"

"That's fine," Naruto interrupted. "Hey, just call me if you find them, okay? Thanks anyway."

He snapped the phone shut and dropped it on the table like a hot snake.

Well, at least he'd tried. Okay, so he always told his students effort was nice but it didn't get you good marks. Whatever. He wasn't playing for grades, so he was going to go ahead and award himself bonus points. And ramen. Definitely ramen.

And after that....

Well, he'd already started off his weekened doing something stupid. Might as well fill it with more stupid shit.

* * *

"It was... it was dog shit. That's what it was. Dog. Shit."

Kiba emphasized the last word by slamming his mug onto the bar and getting his fingers caught. Then he squealed and jumped back, sucking beer from his fingers and glaring at the mug like it'd slept with his girlfriend and gotten her pregnant.

Naruto squinted at him. "I thought you liked dogs," he said.

"Love them," Kiba said, forgiving the mug enough to turn and gift Naruto with a drunken grin. "_Love them_, I tell you, but it was--"

"Dog shit, yeah, sure. Does Hinata know you love dogs, Kiba?"

"Huh?" Kiba frowned. "'Course she does, she loves Akamaru s'almost as much as me. No, no, as much as."

"So that's what they mean when they say doggy-style, huh," Naruto said, and grinned, but of course Kiba missed the joke. Fucking lightweight. It was weird. He always swore he'd never go drinking with Kiba again, because Kiba got drunk faster than Sakura got mad, but come next week and they were back at the bar and Naruto was stuck waiting for his mind to get as fucked as Kiba's so he wouldn't be so _bored_.

"You know," Kiba said, suddenly, "you ever thought the moon was lonely? Shit, she's damn lonely. Like people. People are lonely."

And he wouldn't be stuck listening to Kiba's existentialist shit.

"You need to get laid," Naruto said. He almost added, _tell Hinata to put out more_, but Hinata was so damned nice that insulting her felt like kicking a baby in the face and then laughing, even if she wasn't actually there. Besides, she'd covered for him on Tuesday, he owed her. Maybe he'd buy her a bra again. It was fun watching her blush. And it was funny when Kiba tried to beat him up for it and got his ass kicked instead.

Naruto smirked into his drink. Right. That was why he liked hanging out with Kiba. So what if the guy was some hot-shot consultant for his family's company? So what if he was loaded? Naruto was still cooler, dammit.

"Kiba!"

It was Sakura. Naruto grinned, straightening, and whirled around on his stool. His drink sloshed dangerously.

He began to raise a hand. "Saku--_oh holy shit_ _what the fuck is he doing here_."

Kiba broke off to stare at him. "Naruto?"

"I'm not here," Naruto told Kiba.

"Is it the guy?" Kiba asked, showing surprising insight. "Okay, go on, hide." Naruto looked at him gratefully.

"Yeah," he said, and rose in his seat.

"Guess you _would_ be kind of pissed that he's a lot prettier," Kiba mused.

Okay, or maybe Kiba was still drunk. Naruto shoved him off the stool and then fled to the bathroom, and then out again when the woman in there, one finger hooked under her bra-strap, screamed at him. Wrong one. Right.

He looked to his right, made sure it was a picture of a guy on the door, and ducked in. The thick smell of cigarette smoke and piss hit him, and Naruto wrinkled his nose. There was some guy passed out against the last stall, a cigarette still hanging off his fingers and what looked like a bottle lying next to him.

Because Naruto was nice, he made sure the guy was just sleeping, not dead. Then he stole his wine and escaped into a stall, locking it behind him and then shoving the seat cover down so he could sit on it. And to block out the smell, because someone had forgotten to flush.

Naruto tried the handle, but it was jammed, and his nose wrinkled. Okay, or someone _couldn't_ flush.

Naruto nursed his stolen bottle, which still had a good bit left in it, and realized maybe he was more drunk than he thought. Otherwise he'd have fled outside, not into some shitty bathroom. Anyway, chances were Uchiha had already seen him and his subsequent escape, because, hello, _bright orange shirt_.

It was his favorite, but for a few seconds Naruto entertained a brief flash of hated. Mild hatred, though, because orange was a cool color.

Anyway, his nose was getting used to the smell already.

The bathroom door opened. Naruto froze. When he heard whistling, though, he relaxed. No way was Uchiha the kind of guy to whistle. Unless Sakura had already gotten him shitfaced, in which case, _damn_, was he proud of his best friend.

Naruto's head lolled back. Here I am, he thought, sitting on a toilet with shit still stuck in it so that some creepy stalker guy won't harass me. A creepy stalker guy who's convinced he's in love with me, even though he's on a date with Sakura. Wait, maybe that's why he's still in love with me. Sakura. She's way too scary to be enough of a temptation, even if she is nice.

Fuck. Why was Hinata dating Kiba, again?

Oh, right. Kiba was a filthy-rich consultant.

Already bored of the bathroom, Naruto was about to brave the outside world again--or at least the bit of it that didn't include Uchiha--when the door opened again. He stilled, feet suspended above the ground.

There was a snorting sound, the kind someone would probably make when seeing a passed-out drunk sleeping in the bathroom with a cig still in hand. Naruto heard squelching footsteps as the person walked up and down the bathroom.

Naruto looked through the gap under the door. The shoes looked expensive.

Dammit.

"I saw you come in here," Uchiha's disembodied voice said.

Naruto tipped his head back and swallowed all the drink left in the bottle. It hit him like a flying brick wall hit... hit another flying brick wall, maybe, because they were drunk or high or something and, and, good, he'd gotten the lock and the door was opening.

"What else was I supposed to do?" he muttered defensively. He crossed his arms, leaned against the stall, and glared.

Something landed on his foot, and Naruto jumped, looking down. The guy was shifting, waking up. His hand had hit Naruto's shoe and what was hopefully a puddle of water.

"Okay, I'm not having this conversation in here." Naruto frowned. "Whatever this conversation is. Or any conversation. I do a lot of stupid shit when I'm drunk--"

"Like promising people blowjobs?" Uchiha said, and something in his voice made Naruto swallow.

"Right, like that." He spent a few moments reminiscing about highschool and Neji, and then said, "I ain't promising you anything, jackass. Seriously, bye."

Uchiha grabbed his wrist. His hand was warm, warm enough to run lightning through it.

Naruto's breath hitched. He turned towards Uchiha, staring into his deep, dark eyes, which were looking through him, maybe.

Then his fist flew forward. It was a good punch. Uchiha slammed backwards, head snapping back, and landed in what was, on reflection, probably _not _a puddle of water. Naruto stepped out of the bathroom. He felt like he was on fire.

He found Sakura seated next to Kiba. "I thought you hated heels," he said, momentarily distracted from his anger.

"Oh, these are Ino's," Sakura said, and stuck a leg out to show them off. Naruto did, and her legs, too.

Sakura raised her purse threateningly, but somehow Naruto couldn't find it in himself to laugh.

"Where did Sasuke go?" she asked.

"Uchiha's... pissing, probably," Naruto said. Or pissed off, he thought but didn't say.

Kiba frowned. "Sasuke?" he said, slowly. "Wait--Uchiha? Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Yeah. Come on, you guys. We're leaving," Naruto said. "Oi, Kiba, pay up."

He grabbed Sakura and Kiba's wrists as soon as Kiba had pushed the last of the bills over the counter, not bothering to wait for change. It wasn't like Kiba couldn't afford it.

Sakura stumbled slightly, not used to the heels. They were outside, now, and the cold hit Naruto like... well, like the flying brick walls he'd thought of earlier, he supposed. He winced. There was a BMW nearby--Uchiha's, probably. Where the hell was _his_ car?

"Naruto," Sakura said, and her voice was getting louder the way it did when she was preparing for a good, long screaming session.

"I just punched Uchiha," Naruto told her flat-out. The car was on the far side of the parking lot. He just needed his _keys...._

Sakura whipped her hand back. "_What_," she said.

"He deserved it!" Naruto said defensively.

"Naruto, what--"

Kiba was straightening, though, and his eyes were wide. "_Uchiha Sasuke?_" Then he looked up and said, "Holy shit, it really is--"

Naruto moved fast enough to dodge the blow to his face. Ha! he thought, and then Uchiha got him in the gut.

Fuck, he thought, and crumpled. He brought an arm up to stop getting a faceful of Uchiha's jean-clad knee, and then gave in to the pain and collapsed properly onto the ground.

Five inches from his eyes were Sakura's borrowed heels, except they weren't heels at all. More like three-inch steel pikes, Naruto realized dazedly, and then they were gone from his vision when Sakura raised the right with terrifying expertise and--

--_sunk it into Uchiha's thigh.  
_  
"Oh fuck," said Naruto from the ground. Uchiha collasped next to him. He didn't scream, but his face contorted and he was clutching his leg.

"Okay, we're leaving, _now_," Naruto said, scrambling up.

"I didn't mean to do that!" Sakura screamed at Uchiha as the three of them ran to the car. "But you deserved it!"

"I knew he was a pansy-ass," Kiba said.

Naruto and Sakura turned as one to stare at Kiba.

"What?" Naruto said.

"Get in the car," Sakura said. She was much more practical, even if there was blood stuck to her shoe.

Naruto glanced behind. Uchiha had managed to stand up, even if he was hunched-over like Quasimodo. And then he was a fast-distant figure as Sakura peeled out of the parking lot with the ease of someone who has been Naruto's best friend for more than a decade and subsequently knows perfectly well exactly how to get the fuck out as fast as possible.


	3. Chapter Three: Betting Change

**Crown & Anchor  
**by Nilladriel

_A bit of a filler. But at least this chapter has Neji. I do love him._

_This chapter also has a cliff-hanger of sort! Yay._

**Chapter Three: Betting Change**

"I can't believe I did that."

Naruto didn't know where they were, but Sakura did, apparently. A line of bikes blocked one sidewalk, and a family of strays strode past the car, one of them stopping for a few moments to critically study the front-right wheel.

"I should call him and apologize," Sakura added. Naruto wasn't sure who she was speaking to. The dogs, maybe.

Arm covering his face, Kiba snorted. He seemed to have been shocked into sobriety. "I'm never drinking with you again, you fuck," he mumbled into his forearm. Naruto ignored him, tugging his orange shirt down and brushing the dirt from the bright fabric. He'd scratched himself up a bit when he'd fallen, and he was pretty sure he'd have a bruise on his torso.

Well, at least he hadn't gotten stabbed.

"I'm calling Neji," Naruto said finally, hitting the familiar speed-dial number. He set his phone on speaker mode so he could thread his fingers through his hair and have a proper, quiet break-down.

"Naruto, it's nearly midnight," Sakura said. She put her hands on the steering wheel, a perfect ten-and-two, and slowly eased the car forward.

There was silence of a sort. The cell phone beeped, Kiba muttered into his arm and, shit, shit, shit, this was all Uchiha's fault. Although, okay, maybe he didn't deserve getting stabbed. Maybe.

"It was reflex," Sakura was saying, apparently set on convincing some invisible judge that it wasn't her fault. Maybe she was practicing for court. "I mean, he punched Naruto! ... Oh, but I didn't mean to stab him, I didn't think, really. Ino will be so mad that I dirtied her stuff. Do you think he'd accept my apology?"

Sakura stopped her monologue suddenly as a thought occurred. She glanced behind. "Shit, Naruto, what did you _do_?"

"He started it," Naruto muttered.

"_Right_," Sakura said, with all the scepticism of a teacher who has just been told that sorry, teach, I couldn't do my homework because the dog ate it.

"He _did_."

Sakura straightened. Naruto didn't see her expression, but her ears were going slowly red from anger. "Naruto, I'm going to rip your balls off," Sakura started.

"Should I hang up?" Neji's tinny voice reverberated.

"No!" Naruto said, relieved, as if Neji's voice was divine protection from Sakura's terrible wrath. "I just punched someone! And then Sakura stabbed him! And I think we might be in trouble," he added, thoughtfully.

"It was reflex!" Sakura snapped.

"You don't just stab _Uchiha Sasuke_ on reflex!" Kiba suddenly roared. The car jerked. Naruto slammed against the car door. The phone fell to the cheap carpet below. Naruto lunged for it a second too late, thinking it had _finally _died after all these years, when Neji suddenly said, "Why don't you come over and we'll talk about it."

He sounded resigned. It was a normal enough tone, just like the way Sakura was often angry, Naruto was often obnoxious, and Kiba was often drunk.

Naruto snapped his phone shut, turning it in his palm and checking for damage. The stickers beamed up at him.

Man, Saturdays sucked. Except, Naruto noticed gloomily, it was Sunday now. Which just went to show: When Saturdays sucked, they sucked hard enough to turn the other days balls-blue, too. Fuck.

"I guess we're going to Neji's, then, huh," Sakura said. Her shoulders slumped.

The car didn't move.

"Um, Sakura?" Kiba finally ventured.

"Oh," Sakura said. "It's just--um--where _are_ we?"

"You are shitting me," Naruto said, and leaned his forehead against the window.

* * *

Unlike Naruto, Neji lived in an actual house. It was one of a row of connected houses three stories proud. There was an overgrown pond in the back and overgrown garden everywhere else. The hedge had been waging war on enemy territory for some months now, and was finally winning. A line of stone statues solemnly guarded the front gate, glaring at any visitors, except for the one on the left, which seemed to be perpetually laughing instead. The statues always made Naruto feel somehow inadequate. He eased away from them.

Neji's gate was complicated. There was an art to opening it: Sakura carefully wiggled it, and then kicked until it finally swung open. Naruto and Kiba simply climbed over the low wall, shamelessly stepping onto the long grass, which brushed against their legs like overlong bristles. Kiba stumbled a bit, maybe still a little drunk.

Neji opened the door while Sakura battled her way through the path, which was less a path and more a line of stones hidden in a miniature savanna. He was half-dressed, and his hair was messy, so they'd probably woken him up.

"Sorry we're so late," Naruto said cheerfully. "We got lost."

"I see. There's tea in the kitchen," Neji said, expression and tone polite as always. He chose not to ask how they had gotten lost in a city they'd lived in for more than a decade. Instead, he turned and strode inside. They followed, three little ducklings.

The kitchen was long and narrow. There was a small television, which Neji never used, and a radio, which always was.

Neji's tea was as comforting and calming as always. Naruto secretly thought he drugged it. Drinking a cup was like taking a step on the eightfold path.

Neji sat down, settling his arms on the table and looking at them with an expression that was probably meant to be cool and serious. He just looked tired. "What happened?"

"Um..." Naruto fiddled with his cup. "Right, a few days ago--"

"Monday," Sakura interrupted. She was a woman concerned with details.

"--Right. Well, this guy, Uchiha Sasuke, showed up on my doorstep."

"They were childhood friends," Sakura said.

Naruto opened his mouth to deny it, remembered the photos Uchiha had sent, and frowned, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Yeah," he said, after a moment. He looked down at his cup. "Well, anyway, I basically told him to fuck off and introduced him to Sakura. Um, apparently they hit it off. Today we ran into each other, and--"

"At the Blue Butter," Sakura clarified.

"... At the Blue Butter, right. And he... pissed me off, so I punched him, and then we got the fuck out of there. Well, um, outside, he sort of punched me, and Sakura...."

"It was reflex," Sakura muttered. Neji poured her another cup, and then scooted his chair a few inches away from her.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he murmured to himself, eyebrows furrowing slightly. At least they weren't constantly at war, like Uchiha's. He and Kiba glanced at each other, perhaps communicating in some secret language. Kiba inclined his head slightly. Neji frowned. Kiba shook his head and looked up at the ceiling, a what-can-you-do expression.

Naruto and Sakura looked at each other, communicating in the not-so-secret language of those who are left out and _not liking it_.

"What, you know him?" Naruto finally said.

"The Uchiha are a well-known, successful family," Neji finally murmured.

"Basically, they're famous for being loaded," Kiba translated. "They own that one hotel, that huge one by the river.... What was it?"

"The Millennium," Neji said.

"Right," Kiba said, and then nodded. End of explanation, except--

"Wow, I don't know what that was, but that was bullshit," Sakura said. "There's something you're not saying."

"They might have a certain reputation," Neji finally admitted. "But there have only been rumours, and I'd prefer not tell you unsubstantiated information."

"So not only did I stab my date, I stabbed someone rich and powerful? From a possibly criminal family?" Sakura clarified. "Wow. I'm going to bed."

"You can have the spare bedroom," Neji told her retreating back.

"Hey! What about us?" Naruto said, squinting. "Don't we get beds?"

"Not me. I'm going home," Kiba said. "My place ain't too far from here, so...."

"You may have the couch," Neji told Naruto generously, and stood up as well.

"Your couch is like a century old. It's saggier than a dead grandmother," Naruto reminded him. "Where're you going, anyway?"

"Making sure Kiba actually gets home," Neji grunted. He didn't even bother going upstairs to get a shirt, just grabbed a coat from the coat-hanger. Apparently oblivious to the cold and completely unashamed of being out in only pyjama bottoms and a coat, he slipped out after Kiba. Naruto heard the whining of the metal gate, the sounds of Sakura settling down upstairs.

He was alone in Neji's kitchen. The silence yelled at him. He sighed and poured himself more tea, and then changed his mind, suddenly restless.

There was a toilet tucked under the stairs; he ran cold water over his knuckles, to take away some of the ache from punching Uchiha. Then he went to the living room, where the couch did, indeed, sag more than a dead grandmother under his weight, and, fuck, he was glad he only weighed around fifty-one; add another kilogram and he was sure his ass would touch the floor.

He fiddled with the remote for a bit, realized there was a _good_ reason he didn't own a TV, turned it off, decided he couldn't stand the silence, and turned it on again. By the time Neji returned, Naruto was back on the couch, the TV was set to some late-night documentary about the production of paint, and he was finishing off the last of the tea. Maybe Neji really did drug it; he felt _way _exhausted.

Neji closed the door so the noise wouldn't wake Sakura up, which of course Naruto hadn't thought of. The blond made a face at Neji.

"There's more to this than what you told us," Neji said. It wasn't a question, more an observation that Naruto couldn't deny, so he hunched his shoulders and clutched his cup tighter.

"I might have lied a bit to Sakura about Uchiha," Naruto allowed.

Naruto glanced at the man on TV, who was red-faced and enthusiastic about the amazing, protective capabilities of automotive paint. His bowl-cut actually reminded Naruto of Lee, come to think it....

The next moment he was staring at Neji's flannel pyjama pants. Naruto frowned.

"I'm trying to look at the TV, not your crotch, you ass," he said.

Neji frowned slightly, looking affronted, but at least he sat down on the coffee table. He settled his hands on his lap and, perfectly calm and patient, looked at Naruto. His head was silhouetted against the TV, where a line of paint cans was apparently meant to impress viewers.  
Neji waited.

It took Naruto exactly five seconds to break down. He lowered his voice and said, "I just don't know him, okay? He says we were childhood friends, and, fuck, maybe we were, but I don't _remember _any of it, okay? And when he showed up, he was asking me out on a _date_. But I can't exactly tell Sakura that, she really likes him, I didn't think...." He trailed off.

"Well, she did just... stab him," Neji offered.

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe I'll come clean tomorrow."

"You don't sound relieved," Neji said. "Is there something else bothering you?"

Naruto sighed. "I dunno," he said. "Just--he pisses me off, you know, but it's not like...." He hesitated. His voice, if possible, dropped even lower, a rumbling whisper set against the narrator's enthusiastic commentary on TV. "It's the same feeling I got with Gaara, sort of."

Neji's expression closed. He wasn't fond of Gaara.

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know, you think he's a murderous shit, like everyone else--"

"I don't," Neji said, coolly. "You believe he isn't a murderer, so I believe he isn't as well."

"... Just like that?" Naruto's facial muscles slackened.

"Yes. It's amazing what you can make people believe," Neji said, mouth twitching, and for a moment he looked off to the side, apparently enraptured by the framed mirror dwarfing one wall. Maybe the carved wooden fruits were just that fascinating. "But I still dislike him," Neji added.

"Ah," Naruto said, feeling slightly awkward and strangely--humbled, though he couldn't say why. "Well. You know. Uchiha's an asshole, and I want to punch him, but even if he is some sort of freak stalker I don't exactly want to run away screaming. I just want to, you know, punch him. And I might not feel as guilty about the, um, stabbing as I should."

Neji's expression went slightly blank as he processed Naruto's logic. After a few seconds, he nodded. "I understand."

"Yeah. That's it, though, I think," Naruto said, carefully not thinking about Sarutobi, about the photographs, about his Dad. Neji nodded, slowly, in a way that somehow communicated he wasn't fooled at all but was willing to let the matter rest. Neji had a way of communicating entire volumes of meaning with slight gestures.

"Then, I'm returning to bed," he said.

Naruto was momentarily guilty for not feeling guilty about interrupting Neji's sleep. "Night," he said.

"If you would like," Neji started, and then stopped. "I'll bring you bedding," he said, as if that was what he'd meant to say all along. "I'm aware that the couch isn't comfortable."

"Thanks, man," Naruto said, and flashed him a grin. Neji smiled back at him.

Ten minutes later, Naruto was curled up on the floor. The couch had been pushed against the wall, out of the way. Naruto rolled on his back, staring up at a ceiling he couldn't see.

There's no way I'm going to be able to sleep like this, he thought. Seconds later, he closed his eyes and dropped off.

* * *

The living room door slammed open. "I'm going to apologize," Sakura announced loudly.

"Mmmmrfgh," Naruto replied, and rolled over onto the TV remote. When the news anchor screamed at him at full volume a second later about how they'd just renamed a street and how this would affect maps, Naruto sat up and said, "WAIT A MINUTE."

"I didn't know you cared about street names," Sakura said doubtfully.

"NOT THAT," Naruto said. "WHY ARE YOU APOLOGIZING TO THAT BASTARD."

"SHODAI WAS A FAMOUS HISTORICAL FIGURE," the news anchor reproached him. Naruto turned, glared, and shut the TV off mid-reactions-about-the-renaming-are-mixed.

"Look, Naruto, you're my best friend," Sakura said. "But I'm not going to lose a potential husband--"

"HUSBAND?" Naruto sputtered.

"Stop yelling. You're so... _reactionary_," said Sakura, who had sunk a three-inch heel into her date's thigh last night.

"Right," Naruto said, slowly. He remembered Monday morning, and meeting Uchiha for the first time. He was sure it'd been less surreal than this.

Even his hair was obnoxious, grabbing at his fingers when he tried to comb it. "Sakura," he said, "there's something I should tell you about Uchiha."

Sakura frowned at him.

Naruto rubbed his eyes. "Sakura, I punched him last night because, um... because he was coming on to me," he said, and waited.

Sakura stared at him, hands on her hips. "Is that all?" she said.

Naruto stared. "What?" he said.

"Naruto, _everyone _hits on you," Sakura said. "Why do you think Kiba pays the tab all the time?"

"_What_?" Naruto repeated.

"And Hinata," Sakura added, rolling her eyes. "Have you noticed how much she blushes around you?"

"Wha--Kiba and Hinata are dating!" Naruto said, loudly.

"So?" Sakura said. "Even Neji was ogling you just last night--oh, hi, Neji," she said, turning to beam at him.

Neji's expression didn't change. He had a plate of bagels in his hand. "Good morning," he said, evenly. He looked at Naruto, and then, slowly, brought his gaze down.

Naruto, suddenly remembering he'd stripped down to his boxers, grabbed at the blanket to cover himself. Unfortunately, it was tangled up in his legs, so all he succeeded in doing was falling over.

Sakura laughed. "Oh, come on, he's just joking," she said.

"Am I?" Neji said, putting the bag down.

Sakura and Naruto gaped after him.

"He was joking then, too," Sakura said, only she sounded unsure.

"Shit, since when did Neji have a sense of humor?" Naruto grumbled. His neck and shoulders burned.

"Well, I'm going to call Sasuke, now," Sakura said. "Have fun with your bagels."

"Sakura--"

She was already gone. Naruto tugged at the blankets until they freed him, and then tripped over them on the way to the breakfast. At least he didn't have a hangover.

"Fuck," he said, and sighed.

As if in agreement, his phone beeped. He grabbed at it, clumsily flipping it open. A message from Uchiha. Shit.

_Not_ in the mood, Naruto deleted it. When his phone rang a mere moment later, he snarled.

"What the _fuck_, you asshole. Would you stop bothering me, just for _one day_?"

"... Good morning, Naruto," Sarutobi said, and Naruto froze.

"Uh. Hey, old man. Sorry about... um."

Suddenly he wasn't hungry anymore. He walked around the pile of blankets and pillows on the floor and to the couch. If he was going to have a conversation with Sarutobi, he'd damn well do it sitting down.

"I'm calling about the photographs you mentioned the other day, Naruto."

Naruto couldn't help it. His breath caught. "A-are there more?" he said, voice dry.

"That is yet to be determined. I'm merely curious about what drove you to call and ask in the first place."

"I just wanted more, that's all," Naruto lied softly.

"Really? Or did something happen? Did you, perhaps, meet someone...?"

Naruto closed his eyes and thought, Fuck you. But this was also the man who'd sent him to school, provided him money for clothes, encouraged his dreams of teaching when everyone else around him was off running businesses or accepting high-paying jobs in reputable companies. "I told you, I just miss Dad," he said. It wasn't a lie, not really.

"I see," Sarutobi said. "Well. It's been good talking to you, Naruto. You really should call more often."

Naruto hesitated. "You know what?" he said. "Maybe I will, old man."

He snapped his phone shut before Sarutobi could say anything more.

He pulled open the curtains. The sun was shining, illuminating Neji's wild, overgrown garden. Even the statues by the gate looked cheerful. It was a good Sunday morning—or, well, afternoon, come to think it. A good Saturday afternoon. He could still salvage the day.

He stuffed a bagel into his mouth, but he still wasn't quite hungry, so he just held it between his teeth and wandered into the kitchen. He was in luck; Neji was just done making tea.

"Still not dressed, I see," Neji said.

"Fuff fou," Naruto said around a mouthful of bagel. He ripped off a generous chunk and sat down. "I don't fucking believe Sakura's going to apologize to him."

Neji simply shrugged. "You know, Sakura was right," he commented.

"About what?" Naruto said, and then: "Oh, _fuck no_, you guys make me sound like some kind of walking aphrodisiac."

Neji pressed a cup of tea into his hand. "Perhaps not," he said, "but you do attract people easily."

"Which explains why I go out on dates all the time," Naruto said solemnly. "It's amazing, it's like I'm getting laid every weekend. Except, oh, wait, _no_, I'm not."

Neji laughed, the kind of soft, low sound Naruto had enjoyed coaxing out of him, back when they'd been young high-schoolers. "Maybe," he said, "you're too kind to take advantage of people like that. Or too dense," he added thoughtfully.

"Fuck you," Naruto said again. Without the bagel in his mouth, he sounded more threatening. Unfortunately, Neji had always been taller, heavier, and more intimidating than him, so the older man just looked amused, saying, "There's butter in the fridge. Now, please excuse me, I have a phone call I'm expecting."

"_I have a phone call I'm expecting,_" Naruto parroted, and rolled his eyes. "Show-off."

Neji just said, "I hope the tea helps you feel better." A moment later he'd pulled his phone out, the perfect image of the young businessman, even if his hair did look suspiciously unwashed and he was in jeans Naruto remembered him buying a decade ago.

Rolling his eyes at Neji's weird ability to judge his moods, Naruto got up to get at the butter. Breakfast, shower, shopping, home. That was all he'd fill the day with, if he could help it.

* * *

The first thing Naruto did when he got home was get his mail. Grocery bag in one hand, bills in the other, he juggled his keys between full hands. After a bit of practiced manoeuvring that probably bruised the apples, his door creaked open.

Whistling, Naruto dumped his bag on the table. He'd cook himself lunch while he waited for Sakura to call. Hopefully her apology wouldn't work and he could quit worrying about her and Uchiha.

Neji had mentioned he might call, as well, which was weird, because Neji wasn't the kind of man who liked having conversations over the phone. Well, what could you do.

Leaning his hip against his table, Naruto sorted through the envelopes. Bills, like he'd expected--oh, and a notice from the school--

And a prissy, white envelope, with his name written neatly on the front.

"Oh, _fuck me_," Naruto said.

Naruto put away the groceries first. The Sakura-like conscience in his head would yell at him, otherwise.

Then Naruto ripped the envelope open, sticking his thumb in to widen the tear he made with his teeth and ruining the envelope as much as possible. This time, there were no photographs--just folded pieces of printer paper.

The first page was a letter.

What caught Naruto's eye were the other pieces of paper, all photocopies. The first was one he recognized, a copy of one of the photos Uchiha had sent previously: The old house, familiar to his memory. The others were maps, each marked with a neat _x_. They were marking the location of the old house, Naruto realized.

When he unfolded the letter, something fluttered out--

A bus ticket.

"You're shitting me," Naruto said, and suddenly he could guess, clear as the pink in Sakura's hair, what Uchiha's damn letter was going to say.


	4. Chapter Four: Deal Again

**Crown & Anchor  
**by Nilladriel

_Er, yes. Another chapter. You know, I never really have much to say in author notes, so I sometimes wonder why I bother putting them in. On the flip side, this chapter is kind of long. (6,000 words, ow.) I just couldn't seem to cut it._

_Anyway! I've been wanting to write this chapter for a long time. You'll see why._

**Chapter Four: Deal Again**

His cell phone was ringing. Why was his cell phone ringing? And something was digging into his back, and it was vibrating--

Wait. Cell phone. Right. Naruto snaked a hand between his back and the coversheets, probably twisting his shoulder in the process but managing to grab his cell. He flipped it open. "Bhuh--_oh holy shit._"

It was eight. _School_ started at eight. And he had class. Iruka was going to _kill him_--

Very quietly, someone said: "Um."

Naruto, halfway through kicking his covers to the floor, stopped. "Uh... Hinata? Good... good morning," he said, carefully. It was hard talking to Hinata on the phone. All the body language--the shifting, the blushing, the nervous fingers--was gone, and when all you had to go on was her voice, you started feeling like you were dealing with a mine-field... only you were the mines and Hinata was the victim.

"Good morning," Hinata said, near-silent. Naruto pressed the phone to his ear hard enough to leave marks. "It's, um, it's alright."

"It is?" Naruto said. His voice had dropped to match Hinata's. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I mean, it is? What is?"

"I c-can cover for you."

"Really? Wait--really? Wow, Hinata! Thanks! You're so great," Naruto enthused.

Hinata didn't reply. Fuck, how did Kiba deal with this? Naruto was starting to feel like an asshat, and he didn't think he'd even done anything, except maybe talk too loud.

"I... um... N-Naruto...."

She trailed off. Naruto forced himself to wait.

"Ijustwantedtosayh-happybirthday."

"What?" Naruto said, except Hinata had already hung up.

Slowly, he looked at his calendar. Not at the half-naked pin-up girl, but at the date.

"_Whoah_," he said. "_It's the tenth._"

* * *

The four of them--Iruka, Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata--stumbled up the stairs to Naruto's apartment laughing. It was five, the sun was shining, and Kiba had promised to come by with beer. Iruka, the tallest of them, was holding the cake up high and free from danger. A second later he stumbled over the packages by the door.

Luckily, Naruto's quick reflexes saved the day. "I keep telling them to wait until someone's actually _home_," he started, glaring down at the packages, and then realized: "Hey--presents! Those're presents, aren't they!"

This time, Sakura saved the cake when Naruto dived forward to inspect the treasure. Iruka, wincing and rubbing his shin, affected a grin.

Naruto expertly jiggled the door open, and then they stepped around the packages to walk into Naruto's cramped apartment.

"Wow, that smells good," Sakura said, looking at the crock pot. Naruto eyed her suspiciously. Sakura had the tendency to label anything vaguely edible _good_, since she had the culinary talent of a dead fish.

"It really does smell good," Hinata reassured him quietly, and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to pick up the biggest box, and grunted. "Shit, it's _heavy_."

"Do you need help with that?"

Naruto looked up. He saw Kiba--with beer!--but the guy who'd actually said the words were--

"Neji!" he said, and dropped the box on Kiba's toe while greeting the older man.

While Kiba howled at him to _be careful, you fuck_, Neji and Naruto carried the boxes into the bedroom. He couldn't help grinning, so that Neji quirked an eyebrow.

"It's just, you know, great," he said. And it was. In the kitchen, Hinata and Sakura were laughing while they prepared the stuff Naruto had thrown into the crock pot. Iruka and Kiba were loudly debating when to cut the cake. Iruka was winning. It was just the--_noise_, and the smell of good food cooking, and the anticipation of too much cake and ice cream and beer.

Neji just smiled, shrugged his shoulders, and they went into the kitchen to join in the festivities.

The kitchen was tiny, but to Naruto, it just made the place seem cozier and even livelier. Kiba, having lost the argument to Iruka, was shamelessly seeking comfort from Hinata. She petted his arm like he was a larger-than-life dog, the corners of her lips twitched up. The two were dressed in matching blue jackets today.

Naruto bumped his hip against Sakura's, making her nearly spill the tea, and laughed when she scowled up at him.

"Take it easy," he said. "It's my birthday, right?"

"Like you even remembered," Sakura scoffed, but she was grinning. "Oh, before I forget--"

She put the tray down and then rushed to the chair where she'd carelessly thrown down her coat. She dug fingers through the folds of cloth, and then--

"Right! Here!"

It was an uneven brown package--messily wrapped, since Sakura apparently lacked any domestic skills to speak of. Naruto blinked. "Wait, are we unwrapping presents _now_?"

"Why not?" Sakura said, obviously impatient. "Come on, open it!"

Naruto did. It was a towel--completely soft. And _orange_.

"Because yours are old, scraggly, and disgusting," Sakura said diplomatically. Naruto enveloped her in a crushing hug, and then pressed a kiss to her cheek when she tried to push him away, laughing.

He got a pen, sleek black and engraved, from Neji; a set of new brushes from Kiba; and a tie from Iruka. Hinata gave him cologne.

"Oh, _finally_," Sakura said. "This way no one can tell when you don't shower."

Kiba's eyes narrowed. "Then maybe you should have it, Saku--OW," he said.

Sakura withdrew her hand and beamed at him. Everyone else edged away from her. Kiba checked for a bruise, and winced.

"Okay, to the bedroom," Naruto said. "I want to see why the fuck that package was so _heavy_."

The rest of them agreed. Iruka artlessly tore the heaviest box open with the bread knife he'd grabbed from the kitchen.

Naruto grew starry-eyed.

"Bean bags," he said. "_Gaara sent me bean bags._"

"Isn't he still in trouble?" Sakura said. "Should he be sending _anyone_--"

"Sakura!" Naruto said sharply. "Bean bags, man. _Bean. Bags._"

Sakura and Neji shared a glance... and started laughing, Sakura pressing her hand to her mouth, Neji turning his head so only his shaking shoulders gave him away. Iruka just sighed.

"That is _so cool_," Kiba said.

"_Yeah_," Naruto said.

"There's more. Who're they from?"

"Maybe from those creepy siblings of his," Naruto said. There were only two others, really. Iruka, apparently still not willing to trust Naruto with the knife--or maybe he really liked using it--opened the bigger one first.

Inside was a package--carefully wrapped, the edges mechanically pointed. Naruto ran his fingers along the box until he felt an edge, and then carefully peeled the tape off. Except the damn thing wouldn't cooperate, and he was left scraping his stubby nails uselessly over the smooth surface. Naruto made a face. He didn't want to ruin the wrapping. It was so _nice_.

"Urgh, Neji," he said. "There's this magic bottle in my bedside table, it removes glue and sticky shit--could you get it?"

Neji nodded, pulling the drawer open. Something rattled.

Busy with his present, Naruto missed the way Neji stilled, his hand pausing on something unseen within the drawer, before he suddenly pressed the bottle of adhesive remover into Naruto's open hand.

"Thanks," Naruto muttered distractedly. He crowed delightedly when the stuff worked wonders.

The wrapping fell away to reveal another box. "Shit, it's like those matryoshka dolls," Kiba muttered.

"Damn, yeah," Naruto said, and then fell quiet when he undid the clasp and saw what lay inside the box.

Photo albums. Three of them, neatly stacked.

"Sarutobi," Naruto whispered. The name hissed through his teeth like a wayward prayer.

His eyes fell to his phone. He'd promised the old man a call. Right, so--

No. After everyone had left. Naruto shook his head, like it would stop his eyes from tearing up, and grinned. "Damn. Wow. _Damn._"

"One more, Naruto," Sakura said. "No card, though."

Another one from the old man? Naruto wondered, and took it. Iruka had already opened the side, so all Naruto had to do was tip it. A necklace fell out. Three crystals set on plain black string, and for some reason the sight of it made Naruto's breath catch.

He'd seen it before. He wasn't sure when, or where, but--

He picked it up, studying the way the crystals caught the light. The middle crystal was the biggest. It wasn't really white, and it wasn't really blue, and somehow, the weight of it in his palm was familiar.

"Here."

It was Sakura. Her fingers were warm as they brushed against his neck, drawing thin black around his neck and carefully doing up the clasp. Naruto grinned at her, tugging carefully at the necklace. He felt it slip with strange familiarity under the material of his shirt.

"Who sent that?" Iruka said, clearly curious.

Naruto opened his mouth. "Is it time for cake?" Kiba interrupted.

"Your priorities need _work_," Sakura complained, but she was already sliding off the bed. She hit Kiba again. He crumpled dramatically.

Hinata rose as well. "Dinner would be nice," she said agreeably. She and Sakura linked arms, and the the two girls went through the door and into the kitchen.

"Cake!" Kiba said, miraculously recovering from Sakura's blow.

"No, Kiba, _wait_, dinner first--"

Naruto laughed as Iruka rushed out after Kiba, worrying for the cake. "Come on, Neji," he started, and then froze when he saw what Neji was holding.

"When did Uchiha send you this?"

Naruto's lips parted. "You had no right to read--"

"I didn't," Neji said coolly.

"Shit, why are you so--"

Neji dropped the letter, untouched, into Naruto's hand. It was crumpled, and actually sort of smelled, probably because Naruto had just shoved it into the drawer, where unknown dangers lurked. He curled his fingers around it.

"Why are you so angry?" Neji asked, ineffably calm.

"Why are you such an ass?" Naruto shot back, but quietly.

"I saw a bus ticket in the drawer, as well," Neji said, just as softly.

Their gazes locked. Neji was the first to look away, but it was Naruto who gave in, saying, "I thought he was just going to, shit, I don't know, ask me to run away with him, some bullshit like that, but instead he apologized."

Neji waited patiently.

"He didn't ask for forgiveness. I would have hated that. But, you know, it was--shit, just read it."

Neji hesitated, but Naruto waved a hand in permission. The older man raised and lowered one shoulder and then carefully unfolded the letter. He read it quickly. Neji was the sort of guy who went through life speed-reading everything, including people.

"I see," he said, after a while.

"Yeah. Kind of short. And awkward. And Iruka would've attacked the grammar with that red pen he always has," Naruto added thoughtfully. "But it's kind of... I don't know, for the first time, he really seems like a _person_."

Neji's eyes were still on the letter. He was frowning faintly. "Does it?" he said, and then shook his head. "No. I won't question it. You've always been able to see more clearly than me."

He looked up, pinning Naruto with eyes eerily pale. "What are you going to do?"

"What?"

"Will you go with him?" Neji pressed.

"What? Fuck no. Do I look like an idio--no, don't answer that, you bastard." Naruto huffed. "Honestly? I don't know."

"What do you _want_ to do?" Neji asked. He folded the letter and let it drop back into the drawer, into the mess of pencils, receipts, and stubby, scented candles.

"I don't know," Naruto said again. "But I want to do _something_. I _will_ do something," he decided. "I think... yeah. I think I'm going to give him a chance."

Neji had that look in his eyes, the one that said he was going to do something too, and Naruto probably didn't want to know.

"Just be careful," he cautioned.

"Yeah, I told you, I'm not--"

"OI! GET IN HERE!"

They both jumped.

"I HAVE NEIGHBORS, KIBA!" Naruto yelled back.

"He's going to eat all the cake!" Sakura said, and then suddenly she was shrieking in laughter. "No--don't--_Kiba_, you spilled it all over my dress--!"

Naruto's eyes lit up. Sakura was wearing white today, and if it got wet, that meant--

"Yeah!" he whooped, and dashed into the kitchen.

* * *

The week passed, crawling slowly towards the weekend. Now it was Friday, and he had reports due the next week, so obviously Naruto was lounging on his bed and contemplating the bus ticket Uchiha had sent him.

His cell phone was ringing. Naruto frowned.

The ringing stopped... and then began again a bare second later. Naruto let it ring.

The letter was still in his drawer.

Like he'd told Neji, it'd been a pretty good apology. Even if it really had been awkward, and Iruka really would have had a fit over the grammar. Uchiha had fucked the gerunds over like a madman. Naruto might have liked more grovelling, too.

Naruto thought about what he'd told Neji. He sighed. The awful thing about heart-to-heart conversations was, you couldn't back down from anything you said in them. Especially promises. Promises made people.

Naruto reached for the phone. "I'm not going with you," he said, hesitating only slightly before speaking. "It's going to take, what, eight weeks for you to heal, anyway. If you travel around with a bad leg, you're a fucking idiot. Did you ever accept Sakura's apology?"

"... No," Uchiha said.

"Okay." Naruto closed his eyes. "You're the most confusing fucking person I've ever met. You show up on my door and ask me for a date. And then it turns out that you knew me. And you--send me pictures." Naruto crumpled the bus ticket in one hand. It fell to the floor, joining his boxers and last month's newspaper. "How many times were you dropped on your head as a kid?"

"I--" Uchiha started.

"But, you know, you're lucky. I should probably file charges against you and make it impossible for you to, I don't know, be in the same city as me or something, but instead, I'm going to do something really stupid." Naruto paused. "Where are you right now?"

"In my hotel room," Uchiha said. Even over the phone, he sounded completely bewildered.

Rich _bastard_, Naruto thought viciously. "Let me guess," he said slowly, "you're staying at the Millennium."

"... Yes," Uchiha said. "What--"

"What room?"

Uchiha told him. Naruto hung up before he could say anything else.

He took a shower. And then he decided, hell, he'd cook dinner, just because the thought of Uchiha getting more and more pissed off while he waited was, well, kind of nice. He made pizza--the kind that wasn't pizza at all, just sauce and meat and pineapples on generic dough--and then carefully put the irregular slices in containers. By the time he was out of the house, the cool air chilling his skull through his damp hair, it was nearly eight.

All he was doing was heading off to Uchiha's hotel room, but he felt vaguely dizzy, even high. Like he was about to jump into a river where swimming wouldn't help because the current was too strong.

It would be easy, probably, to just ignore the poor bastard. Block his number, ignore him every time they met, pretend he didn't fucking exist. Because, really, Naruto's life had been rolling along just fine. He didn't _have _to entertain Uchiha and his issues.

But that would be running away. And he wouldn't be running away from just Uchiha, either. He'd be running away from...

From Sarutobi. From the memory of his Dad, held in worn pictures in a well-loved album kept under his bed. From his own damn curiosity.

Anyway, as long as Uchiha wasn't as creepy as Gaara had been, Naruto was going to be fine.

Naruto reached his car. The keys bit his hands when he fished them out of his pocket, almost like a warning.

* * *

The Millennium was a rounded, glass structure spreading up into the sky; Naruto had never been there before, but he didn't need to stop to ask for directions. All he had to do was keep it in his eyesight, and he reached it eventually.

Traffic was bad, but Naruto knew all the little--and illegal--tricks to cut down his drive time. He took the roads without the tolls, ducked through the more urban streets, and then finally he was guiding his car into a car park filled with luxury cars. There were more trees here than Naruto had seen anywhere else in the city, like a mini, concentrated forest. Feeling distinctly out of place, Naruto eased out of his car, feeling silly when he locked it. Like any carjacks would go for _his _piece of shit when there was a BMW to the left and a Mercedes convertible to the right.

Inside, the floor was all smoky marble tile, and a sign outside the restaurant announced that breakfast was free for guests before nine o' clock. A lounging bell-boy, dressed in black too somber for even funerals, gave him a suspicious look, and Naruto grinned at him. "Where're the elevators?"

After a moment, the guy straightened. "Right over there, sir," he said.

Naruto raised one hand in a half-wave, and then walked off, trying not to stare. He wondered if even Kiba or Neji could afford to stay in a place like this.

The elevator seemed to be made entirely of mirrors, which made Naruto wonder how the uglier guests felt, being confronted with reflections of themselves on all sides. He made faces at himself while he waited for the car to go all the way up to the top floor. The elevator dinged at him politely, and the door slid smoothly open.

He stepped out onto carpet that made him want to throw his shoes off and run down the hallway. Uchiha's room was at the very end, far away from any noise. Naruto knocked, loudly.

After a few moments, Uchiha opened the door. He was on crutches, and if Naruto hadn't already met and grown immune to Gaara's murderous glares, Uchiha's expression would have sent him packing. As it was, Naruto just raised the bag in his hand and said, "I cooked dinner, so you better be appreciative, asshole."

Uchiha closed the door with more force than was polite, and then limped all the way to the couch.

He wasn't staying in a hotel room; he was staying in a fucking suite. Naruto could have fit his entire apartment inside twice, maybe even three times over. The entire wall of the living room was pure glass. It was, Naruto thought, a pretty damn good view. This high up, the city looked amazing, like someone had stolen all the stars from the sky and given them to the Earth.

There was even a small kitchen. Naruto carefully dampened the pizza with water and then shoved the container into the microwave, since the kitchen seemed to be missing actual pans to properly heat them up with. When he stepped out, Uchiha was seated on the couch with the kind of expression that clearly said he wasn't in pain, not at all, so stop looking, dumbass.

Naruto sat down, not on the couch but on the table. "I meant what I said on the phone," he said. "You're pretty damn confusing."

Uchiha grunted. "So are you, idiot," he said.

The way he said _idiot _made Naruto pause. It didn't sound like an insult. It sounded like a well-worn nickname, if a pretty damn stupid one. "You know," he said, "what I don't get is--why a date? Okay, so you want to reconnect with a childhood friend. Fine. But why the hell did you ask me out on a _date_ that Monday?"

Uchiha didn't reply. But--and this made Naruto stare--his cheeks did get slightly pink.

"You know what?" Naruto said. "I don't want to know. I'm just going to pretend it's because you're clearly..." He paused. "What would Iruka call it? Right. _Socially inept._"

Naruto didn't actually know what _inept_ even meant, but it wasn't like Uchiha had to know that, and the way Iruka always said the word he knew it wasn't anything good.

The microwave beeped. Naruto got up to get it, and then he had to stop, because Uchiha had reached forward and grabbed his wrist.

"You know, the last time you did this, I pun--"

"Sit down," Uchiha interrupted, apparently tired of Naruto leading the conversation.

The microwave beeped again. Naruto sat down. Uchiha didn't let go.

Uchiha was looking at him--no, studying him. Naruto thought of those pictures he'd sent, of Uchiha-as-a-child glaring at the camera. He wasn't glaring now, but it was the same deadly intensity, and Naruto squirmed. Uchiha really did have pretty eyes, but he seemed to think they were lasers.

Naruto reached forward and softly knocked on Uchiha's eyebrows. "Stop it," he said. Uchiha blinked, and Naruto grinned when his eyebrows unfurled. In fact he looked vaguely stupefied, but it was better than his default, pissed-off expression.

"There, see?" Naruto said. "You look better like that."

Uchiha's grip tightened. His expression changed, from stupid to something else, something that made Naruto's stomach drop and burn. And then he said: "I missed you."

Naruto stared.

"You haven't changed," Uchiha was saying. "You're still smaller than me--"

"_Hey_--"

"And you still need to eat more. You're too damn thin. You... you're still the same. I was scared you wouldn't be."

"Change is good, you know," Naruto said. He was hypnotized; Uchiha's eyes were pinning him down. Uchiha might be the one with the lame leg, but it was like Naruto was the one at a disadvantage. He couldn't move. He didn't want to move.

"No, I..." Uchiha wasn't looking away. If only Uchiha looked away, Naruto would be able to just--go. "I know. But some things shouldn't change."

"Um," Naruto said. "You can let go now."

Uchiha obviously wasn't listening, because the next thing Naruto knew, the world tilted--and then he was on the couch, sitting on cushions softer than heaven, and Uchiha was--laying his head on Naruto's shoulder, Naruto's wrist still captive in one hand, the other arm around his waist. He was taller, but the way he curled around Naruto made him seem like he wasn't.

It was the way a near-drowned man might act, like Uchiha just needed a reminder of--something. Which was why Naruto didn't punch him, just sat still and quietly wondered. His hand moved. He put it on Uchiha's thigh.

It was like a signal, somehow. Uchiha twitched, and his grip slackened.

"I'm getting the pizza," Naruto said. He stood. "Call down for wine, would you?"

Uchiha frowned up at him.

"What?" Naruto said. "You wanted a date, didn't you?"

And just like that, the atmosphere in the room turned--sharper, harder. Naruto went to the kitchen, where he put the slices on a single, lonely plate he found in one of the cupboards. When he returned, Uchiha had just put the phone down.

"What'd you get?"

Uchiha just smirked. "Pizza with wine," he said. "Is this usual for your dates?"

Naruto, about to put the plate down, stopped at Uchiha's tone. Even if he was just sitting on the couch, crutches nearby as a heavy reminder of his wound, Uchiha seemed--bigger, somehow, more sure. As if he hadn't just been clutching Naruto like a lifeline. There was a certain set to his shoulders; his eyes dropped to half-mast, looking steadily back at Naruto.

Naruto had never seen anyone pull themselves together so fast. Not Gaara, or even Neji. He put the plate down. Uchiha helped himself to a slice, and then looked surprised when he took a bite.

"It's not bad," he said.

"For fake pizza? Yeah. I'm not really up to actual cooking, most of the time," Naruto said. This time, when he sat down, he seated himself next to Uchiha.

"You know, we should probably be at the movies, or some restaurant," Naruto said. "I don't usually go to hotel rooms on the first date."

It was the wrong thing to say, because Uchiha _looked_ at him, and Naruto blushed and looked away.

"Really?" And, shit, Uchiha's voice was a near-purr.

Naruto was starting to figure out why Sakura had been so damn enthusiastic about Uchiha.

He stuffed another slice into his mouth to forestall conversation. Uchiha didn't seem to mind, eating steadily. The guy had an appetite. That was fine, though; Naruto always made a lot when he cooked.

"So, um, what do you do? You know, for work."

"I write novels," Uchiha said.

"Yeah? Cool. But I don't remember seeing any of your books anywhere."

And Naruto knew instinctively that Uchiha was the kind of guy who was successful at whatever he chose to do. Hell, Naruto sitting on the couch next to him was proof of that.

Sure enough, Uchiha nodded easily, saying. "I use a pen-name."

"What is it?"

Uchiha didn't answer. He just raised his head and said, "That would be the wine."

Exactly a second later, the bell rang. Naruto twitched.

A moment later, having been stared at by room-service like he was some kind of hustler, Naruto was returning to the couch with an unfamiliar bottle in his hand. Something from Germany, and impossible to pronounce.

"It's white wine, but medium-heavy," Uchiha told him, and Naruto nodded like he understood. "There are glasses in the kitchen."

"Don't tell me what to do," Naruto said, frowning.

Deliberately, Uchiha turned to look at his crutches.

Naruto deflated. "Right," he said, and went to get the glasses.

The amazing thing about a good glass of wine was, it had a way of making Naruto comfortable and relaxed, no matter the situation. And this was _good _wine. It left a pleasant aftertaste in the back of his throat.

"I'm actually a teacher," he said, like he was confessing.  
"What do you teach?" Uchiha said, in a tone that suggested he was just going along, but the way he leaned back, chin tilted slightly, revealed his interest.

"Oh, art," Naruto said. "It's great, coming up with projects for the kids."

Uchiha snorted. "I feel sorry for the students."

Naruto studied him. Uchiha's shoulders were broad. His features were strong, and if he'd stop putting a tonnage of gel in it, his hair would've looked damn hot. Except he looked plenty good already. Naruto studied the subtle planes of muscle suggested by the way Uchiha's clothes contorted around him, and then thought: Wait, I'm supposed to be talking. Right.

He grasped at the last thread of conversation and said, "I feel sorry for 'em, too. I promised Konohamaru I wouldn't mess with him this week, but next week...." He grinned, raised the glass like a salute, and drained it.

Uchiha raised an eyebrow, straightening slightly. His shirt was a dusty brown. It fit him. "Konohamaru?" he said.

"Huh? You know him?"

"...No," Uchiha said. "It's just a strange name. Let me refill that."

Except when he reached for Naruto's glass, he put it on the table and then went for Naruto's hand instead. He didn't do anything, just turned the palm up, running his fingers over the skin. Naruto felt his eyelids drop.

"You are so lucky I'm easy when I'm drunk."

Uchiha looked amused. "You'll be glad to know I don't--"

The phone rang.

Naruto recognized the ring tone. Neji.

"Sorry," Naruto said. This was good, right. It was too hot. He clutched the phone to his ear with both hands and turned the volume down so Uchiha couldn't hear Neji's voice.

"Um, Neji! Hey!" he said. "What's up?"

"Naruto? Am I interrupting something?"

Damn, damn, damn, the way Neji could judge Naruto's moods so easily was disconcerting. "Kind of," Naruto allowed.

"I apologize. I'll be brief," Neji murmured. "It concerns Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto uncurled his right hand, ran it through tousled hair. "Uh, okay?" he said.

"His family doesn't deal directly in anything underground," Neji said. "But two decades ago they...." Neji made a frustrated sound. "It's difficult to explain, but it resulted in the deaths of three prominent underground leaders and their protege, Namikaze Minato. I doubt Uchiha Sasuke is still connected, but--be careful."

_Namikaze Minato._ It took a while for the words to connect. When they did, Naruto felt ice creep over his fingers, shooting through his stomach and rooting him. "What?" he said. His voice was hoarse.

"Naruto?" Neji was instantly alert. "Shit, was it something I--where are you?"

"Oh. Um, the Millennium," Naruto said, carefully.

"Naruto," Neji said slowly, "are you with--"

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. Listen. I'll call you later."

Naruto shut the phone.

_"--underground leaders and their protege, Namikaze Minato--"_

Naruto closed his eyes. What was it that Sarutobi had said?

_"There are some people you should never meet, Naruto, and many of them will be at your father's funeral."_

"Naruto?"

Naruto's entire body jerked. He turned wide eyes to Uchiha.

The pictures. Uchiha and Naruto and Naruto's Dad. "Did you know?" he whispered.

"Know what?" Uchiha said, frowning.

"Who my Dad was," Naruto said, a bit louder, but his voice was still hoarse. He dropped his phone. It clattered onto the table; the screen cracked.

"Naruto, what--" Uchiha started, and then Naruto saw his eyes widen in realization.

"Was that why he died? Because he was a--"

Naruto stopped. Uchiha's entire countenance had stiffened, and his expression was--not closed, only Neji could do that, but something rough and wary surfaced, hardening the line of his lips and tightening the muscles in his jaw.

Naruto grabbed his phone. And he thought: What the fuck am I doing? Why am I drinking wine with a guy I don't even know? Fuck, all he did was write me a letter and suddenly I just--just--

Why does it _matter_ so much that Dad was a--

"I--sorry, I'm going," he said. "What the _hell _is wrong with me? I shoudn't even be here!"

Uchiha's expression turned panicked at those words. "Naruto, wait--"

Uchiha tried to stand up, and then immediately crumpled. Good. Naruto stood up, turned--

--and crashed under the full force of Uchiha's weight, _what the fuck_--

"Get off me!" Naruto snarled.

Uchiha was bleeding--he'd torn his wound open. His lips were pulled apart, teeth clenched together, and he was holding Naruto down with pathetic ease, hands on Naruto's wrists, full weight keeping him _down,_ and it was--

"Get _off_!"

"Shut the fuck up," Uchiha snapped. "He was a criminal, okay! They named him the next leader, he was going to take over the whole miserable business--"

"Shut up!" Naruto said. "I don't want to hear--"

"--but he was a good father! He was a good father," Uchiha repeated, and Naruto stared up, eyes wide, muscles straining, feeling Uchiha's blood against his own leg.

"W-what?" he said.

"No one--no one knows who you are," Uchiha said. "They don't even realize you exist. Do you realize how amazing--"

Naruto stilled.

"He kept you safe. He kept _us_ safe. You were the most important--his most important--"

Uchiha was struggling, no longer with Naruto, but with words. His skin was stained red, maybe with anger, maybe not, and his gaze was sharp.

"You were his most precious person," Uchiha said at last. The words came quiet, cautious.

The moment stretched thin, snapped. Naruto closed his eyes. "Get off," he repeated, tiredly.

"No," Uchiha said.

"The fuck?"

"_No_, you idiot. I'm not letting you go again. I'm never letting you go again."

Slowly, Naruto opened his eyes, meeting Uchiha's. They weren't really black at all--just an impossibly dark shade of brown. Up close, the color was rich. Naruto was drowning in them.

The kiss was unsteady and unsure. Uchiha's hands were trembling, maybe from pain. Naruto trembled, too, under him. He felt like he was struggling to breathe, like someone had dropped a weight onto his heart, his lungs.

Uchiha kissed clumsily, like he hadn't quite worked out what to do with his lips, his tongue. Naruto opened his mouth, let Uchiha lead, feeling too emotionally drained to do anything else. Maybe later--

Naruto jerked away. There wouldn't _be _a later, if what Neji said was right, Uchiha might be involved in some damn shady business--

No. No. He wouldn't judge Uchiha on his family. He hadn't judged Neji, or Kiba, or Sakura, or Gaara, and if he started now he was going to shoot himself.

And if Uchiha was right--if Neji was right--then his father had been a--a--

What, some kind of mafia gang leader? Some kind of villain straight from the movie screen? Naruto didn't remember any of that, just blond hair, blue eyes like his, a kind smile.

Uchiha rolled off him.

"You okay?" Naruto said.

Uchiha just made a face. And, yeah, his leg was bleeding.

Impossibly enough, his practical side chose that moment to assert itself. "Uh," Naruto said. "If there's first aid around, I could probably help with that. I'm pretty good at, you know...."

Uchiha didn't answer, so Naruto got up to find the bathroom.

Dealing with Uchiha's wound felt--good. Vaguely sane. Even when Uchiha had to take off his pants.

He has nice legs, Naruto thought, and then: Well, I must be okay, if my libido's still working.

Feeling as if the world had blurred, Naruto said, "You should probably get it checked over by someone who's actually competent. And, uh, by the way, could we pretend that just now never happened? Because that was embarrassing. Shit."

He packed the first aid away.

"You can stay here, if you want," Uchiha said.

Naruto looked up. Met his gaze.

Thought: I'm glad he stopped me from running away.

Thought: It wouldn't have kept me away, anyway.

Thought: Aw, hell, why not, I'll probably crash the car if I drive right now.

"Okay," he said. "I'll take the couch."

Slowly, Uchiha nodded. He didn't smile, but he looked like he might.

* * *

It was the most comfortable couch that Naruto had ever slept on. More comfortable than Neji's saggy old thing, anyway.

Naruto couldn't sleep, so he didn't try to.

Instead he grabbed is phone, running a finger over the crack in the screen. He'd fix it with tape. No way his phone was dying on him anytime soon.

He flipped it open and hit speed-dial one.

"Urgh, Naruto, what is it this time?"

"Sakura," Naruto said, quietly. "Sakura, I--"

"Naruto? What's wrong?"

Naruto closed his eyes. "Nothing," he said. "How was your day?"

"What? Um." For a long time, Sakura didn't say anything, and then: "Well, the conversation with Sasuke didn't go over so well, but, ah...." She laughed uneasily. "Anyway, after that I obviously had to go shopping, so today I finally met up with Ino. I bought a lot of stuff."

Naruto made a noise at the back of his throat. "Yeah?"

"A lot," Sakura confirmed. "A skirt--really short, you'd probably like me in it, you pervert--and two new scarves. And I bought one for you, too, obviously. It's orange. You'll love it."

"I can't wait to see it," Naruto said.

"Obviously. I'm your best friend, you should be excited. You do know that, right? That you're my best friend _ever_."

"... Yeah," Naruto said. "Yeah. Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"You're precious to me," Naruto said, remembering Uciha's words.

"I love you too, Naruto." A pause, and then: "So after we bought the scarves, we headed down to the coffee shop. You know, that one by the river, where you told me to go on Monday? And you wouldn't believe...."

Naruto closed his eyes. Sakura's voice was soft and musical when she wasn't pissed off. It was nice. His chest still felt tight, like it'd been twisted twice over, but the heavy tonnage in his stomach was gone and his limbs didn't feel quite so cold.

He fell asleep listening to Sakura quietly talk, and he didn't dream.


	5. Chapter Five: Lucky Draw

**Crown & Anchor  
**by Nilladriel

_The worst thing about writing fanfiction is, I tend to re-read the manga for, uh... research purposes. Right. Research. Only of course I end up reading entire volumes instead of writing. Sigh._

_Sorry this chapter is so late. I've been distracted._

**Chapter Five: Lucky Draw**

The sunlight woke Naruto, a full spread of heat across his arms and chest. Someone was talking, probably not to him. He flung out an arm and blindly groped until he hit his cell phone. He brought the screen up close and squinted. Nearly noon. Damn.

"Mmrfgh," he mumbled. The talking stopped. There was the click of a phone being set back down.

"I've ordered lunch," Uchiha's voice said from somewhere beyond Naruto's protective cocoon of blankets.

"Okay," Naruto murmured.

"It's already ten past twelve," Uchiha added, sounding disturbed.

Fuck, hadn't he ever met anyone who didn't deal well with mornings before? Offended, Naruto rolled onto his back, pulling the blanket down just far enough that he could see Uchiha. Uchiha's upside-down face made his hair look pretty decent.

Wait.

"No gel!" Naruto yelped.

Uchiha jumped, and then looked like he regretted the action. "So?"

"It looks good," Naruto said. "You don't look like some scene kid at my school anymore."

When Uchiha didn't say anything, just gave Naruto a long look that probably translated pretty well as _what the fuck_, Naruto added: "That's a good thing, by the way. Uh, when's breakfast getting here?"

"_Lunch_," Uchiha said, "will be here in twenty."

"Cool. Call me when _breakfast_," Naruto said, "gets here."

He managed to get off the couch without falling on his ass. Uchiha snorted and went back to his book. Naruto wondered how long he'd been there, just sitting and reading.

In the bathroom, the cold tugged at his feet from the tiles, and Naruto yawned. His teeth felt disgusting. There was a toothbrush provided by the hotel--unopened, because Uchiha had his own bag of toiletries. It was black and half-opened and full of suspicious-looking, small bottles.

Applying a liberal amount of tooth-paste to the bristles, Naruto looked at his reflection. He had bed-hair, and his skin looked terrible, but otherwise he looked normal. Naruto felt like he should look different--maybe more like a dead criminal's son--but it was just the same old face. His eyes were still blue, he still needed a hair-cut, and he was still short.

Maybe things don't have to change, Naruto thought. He spit, rinsed, used some of Uchiha's mouth-wash.

Or maybe things can change, if I want them to.

"Oi! Food's here, idiot!"

"I'm taking a shower!" Naruto yelled back, and tugged his shirt off.

* * *

Breakfast ("_Lunch_," Uchiha said, and Naruto rolled his eyes.) was sandwiches, milk, and juice. Naruto didn't touch the milk, but he ate most of the sandwiches.

They ate in the dining area by the door. Naruto was amazed there even was a dining area. The food had been brought up on a tray by a professional-looking woman in black and white. It came with utensils wrapped in patterned napkins, which Naruto ignored.

Uchiha kept staring at him. Naruto shoved damp bangs out of his eyes and glared back. "_What_," he said.

"Nothing," Uchiha replied. "Are you free next week?"

"Why are you asking?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

"Isn't it obvious?" Uchiha said, raising an eyebrow.

"My week's kind of busy," Naruto said. Strangely enough, this wasn't a lie.

"And your weekend?"

Naruto looked at his glass. It was half-full. The apple juice glittered. He picked it up, put it back down. "I don't think so," he said, slowly. "Um, I usually go out on Friday." He frowned.

Uchiha leaned forward and tapped his brow. Naruto jerked his head up, eyes widening.

"You look better like this, too," Uchiha told him easily. The words were smoother on his tongue than Naruto's.

"Um," said Naruto. His fingers drifted up of their own accord; he jerked his hand back before he could do anything stupid. "I guess I'll go now. Thanks for breakfast."

"Lunch," Uchiha corrected. "Thanks for dinner."

"Sure," Naruto said. He didn't stand up. He hadn't finished his juice. That was a good enough excuse; he reached for it, and then stopped when Uciha wrapped long fingers around his hand. He looked at their twined digits blankly.

"Give me five minutes," Uchiha said.

"Um... what?" Naruto said, completely and absolutely undignified.

"Five minutes to convince you to go on a second date with me."

Naruto couldn't help grinning at that. For a moment Naruto just shifted his blue gaze to Uchiha's. And then he glanced at the clock behind them, which stood discretely next to sun-bright, yellow flowers. He waited until the second hand hit the twelve, and then he said, "Okay."

Just like the first time, Uchiha didn't speak, but this time it wasn't because he was stunned. He was obviously thinking, gaze fixed somewhere beyond Naruto's right ear. He was frowning again. Someday his eyebrows were going to fall off.

Naruto said, "Three minutes left."

"Last night was fun," Uchiha said, and then seemed to re-consider his words. He added: "Before the phone call. I meant what I said. I miss you.

"I know a lot about you, from before, but... I wouldn't mind getting to know you now."

Uchiha licked his lips. "I'm going to kiss you now," he said.

"Why the hell are you still frowning, then," Naruto started to say, and then Uchiha leaned forward and their lips met.

Naruto froze. They were still holding hands. The yellow flowers next to the clock seemed to be staring at him, like they were asking him _what the hell are you doing_.

Naruto closed his eyes. Uchiha's lips were warm. It was better than their first kiss, because it didn't come after a fucked-up conversation or an earth-shattering phone call. Uchiha was more sure, now.

He let go.

"Time's up," Naruto said. He didn't say anything else.

Uchiha put an elbow on the table, leaning his chin on his palm. "Thanks for coming," he said. He was staring again.

"Sure," Naruto repeated stupidly. "I better go and change, right?"

He stood up. The chair complained, and he still hadn't finished his juice. He reached for his plastic bag. Empty of pizza, the containers were light in his hand. Uchiha was dressed in red today, Naruto suddenly noticed, like a blurred camera suddenly focusing. The color made his eyes lighter, like the in right light they'd shine russet.

At the door, Naruto turned around. "I have faculty meetings all next week. Something about the cafeteria. And the dress code," he added, and made a face. "And Friday I have to supervise some brats while they argue about the Halloween dance. But I'll keep Saturday open."

Uchiha tilted his head. "Okay," he said. "Saturday."

On impulse, Naruto held out his hand.

After a long moment, Uchiha took it. They shook.

"It was nice meeting you," Naruto said.

Uchiha didn't say anything. He squeezed Naruto's hand once, then let go. "Don't bring food next time," he said.

Near the elevators, Naruto looked back. Uchiha hadn't closed the door; he was leaning against the doorway, one crutch tucked loosely against his arm but bearing no weight. His thumb snaked through a belt-loop. He looked like a model, face lit a soft yellow by the light in the hallway, outlined by white from the lights behind him.

Naruto raised a hand in goodbye. Uchiha nodded back.

The elevator dinged impatiently at him. Naruto stepped in. He grinned to himself, and hummed under his breath.

* * *

When he got home, Sakura was sitting in front of the front door. She hadn't put her hair up and she was tapping a rhythm against the floor. She sat with her legs crossed, and her shoes were in front of the door in a careless pile. They looked new. As soon as she heard him, her eyes snapped up like weapons.

"I called you _five times_," Sakura hissed, tone sharp against the still air.

Naruto stopped two meters in front of her. "You did?" he said. "Uh. My phone probably died after lun... breakfast."

Sakura threw her head back. It thudded against the door; she didn't seem to care. She was staring at the ceiling, not him, but somehow Naruto could feel the full force of her rage, anyway, like a heavy weight against his shoulders and chest. "I called Neji," she told him. "He says he's sorry, he didn't know your Dad's name. He feels like an absolute _ass_, Naruto. Why were you at Sasuke's?"

Naruto didn't even know what she was mad about, so he just said, "Uh," and took a step back.

"I've been here for four hours," Sakura added.

"Uh. Sorry?" Naruto tried, and then flinched when Sakura snapped her gaze on him, ice-blue and furious.

"You're calling Neji later and apologizing," she said, and slowly stood up. "My ass is numb."

"Coffee?" Naruto suggested tentatively, and took another step back, ready to run. The plastic bag swung against the back of his knee.

Sakura sighed. "I didn't sleep after you called," she told him, because she always wanted to explain things. "So I called Neji, and _he _wasn't sleeping, either, and he told me what he told you, so I told him your Dad's name, and afterwards he said maybe I should check on you, so that's why I've been sitting here for hours waiting for you to get your ass back home."

She took out the keys Naruto had given her years ago and expertly fit them into the door. Naruto always had to struggle, but the door slid open easily for Sakura. Maybe it'd been cowed by her temper.

Naruto waited outside until Sakura turned back to look at him and sighed. "I'm not mad at you," she sighed. "I was just worried. And pissed off. Get your ass inside, you need to make me coffee."

She narrowed her eyes. "Why are you smiling?"

"Nothing," Naruto said, and dodged around her. His phone charger was in his bedroom. He plugged it in and impatiently turned his phone on. It sang at him, something tinny and high, while a happy .gif played on the screen.

When everything loaded, he spent a few seconds pondering his background, which slid between pitures every few seconds. Currently it was featuring Sakura's very drunk, very red face. It made her eyes even more blue.

_heard you were worried, wuss,_ he carefully typed out. _i'm okay._

He hit send, and then considered. He pulled up a new window.

_yeah, his name was namikaze minato. he was a good dad. i'll show you pictures later if you want._

That was enough of an apology for now. He'd call Neji properly later.

After changing into fresh clothes, Naruto wandered back into the kitchen and took the kettle out of the top-most cupboard, which always squealed when he opened it. The kettle had a completely stained bottom. He stuck it under the faucet.

Sakura was looking through her purse which, thanks to current fashion trends, wasn't actually a purse but a highly fashionable sack. Zippers glinted. Naruto wondered just how much stuff she could fit inside it.

Sakura suddenly made a noise of triumph. She pulled out something bright and long--

"My scarf!" Naruto said.

"Yes," Sakura said. "Come here."

Naruto did. Sakura hit him with the scarf, and then slung it around his neck before he could complain.

She stepped back. "Wow," she said.

"Huh?" Naruto said. He couldn't decipher her wide eyes.

"Well, you actually look good," Sakura said. "Bright colors suit you." She tapped a finger against her lower lip, thinking. "Right! Wear this with that brown jacket you have. Oh, and those jeans we bought last month."

"Uh, why?"

Sakura beamed up at him. "You're going to make it up to me," she said, "by taking me out. And then you're going to tell me _why you were with Sasuke._"

"Are you... mad?" Naruto guessed.

"Why would you think that?" Sakura said. Her smile widened.

"Uh, the coffee--"

"I changed my mind. I want a smoothie," Sakura said. "The reallly expensive kind, with actual fresh fruit. And cheese-cake."

She was still smiling. Naruto resolutely stared back. "Sounds fun. I'm going to call Lee," he said. "He loves smoothies."

Her smile disappeared. "I'd be happy with cheap coffee, though," she said. "Lee hates coffee. Too bad!"

Naruto sighed in relief. Sakura put her hands on her hips. "What are you waiting for? Put that kettle away--let's go!"

* * *

"Why are we going for a walk in the cold?" Naruto complained. At least he hadn't forgotten his gloves.

"Shut up," Sakura said, and sighed happily. She cradled her cup of coffee in her hands, enjoying the warmth. To their right, the river lay deceptively serene. The wind bit childishly at their exposed noses.

Naruto huffed, the air puffing up his bangs. "Geez, you're such a--" he started, and stopped when Sakura gave him a _look_. "Nevermind."

Sakura smiled. She took a sip from her cup and made a happy sound.

"You wanna sit down and finish that? Before it gets cold," Naruto said.

"No," Sakura said. "Let's cross the bridge and take pictures."

She pointed. Naruto squinted. "Uh, why?"

"Just shut up and come on," she said, and before he could agree grabbed his hand and rushed forward. Coffee slushed against the plastic top, droplets leaking out of the small hole at the top.

The bridge was one of many that darted across the river, describing a low arc with dark steel. Naruto could feel the cool of the metal even through his gloves.

"Hold this for a sec--"

He found himself with Sakura's coffee. He glanced at her; she was taking her camera out of its case. She'd taken off her glove so she could handle it better, and it dangled out of her mouth from between clenched teeth. She definitely wasn't looking at him, so Naruto felt free to down half of her coffee.

"Okay, here," Sakura said, sounding satisfied. She brought the camera up and slung an arm around him.

"Don't you want your coffee back?" Naruto asked, just as the camera clicked.

Sakura switched the screen to playback mode and frowned down at the picture. She'd caught the tips of Naruto's spiky, messy hair and, beyond that, a pretty good view of everything behind them. "Way too high," Naruto said. "All you can see are the people behind us. Aren't you normally good at this?"

"Again," Sakura said, clearly ignoring him.

"Oi, you're raising the camera too high again--"

The camera clicked. Sakura brought it back down, frowning hard at the display screen. "Those guys are still there," she said thoughtfully. "Those two." She tapped the screen with a long nail, pursing her lips in thought.

"Because the camera's too high," Naruto said, rolling his eyes.

Sakura said nothing, slipping the camera back into the case. She put her glove back on. "Naruto," she said, "I love you, but you're really _dense_ sometimes."

"Huh?"

Sakura was turning. She seemed to have forgotten about the coffee, which Naruto normally wouldn't mind, except it was getting cold. "Let's go. I want to test something out. Sorry, Naruto, but we're going to walk for a lot longer than I thought in this weather."

"... What?" Naruto said.

Sakura laughed, holding out her hand. "I'll make it up to you later," she promised.

Naruto drank the rest of his coffee and made a face. "I don't get you," he complained, but he took her hand anyway.

* * *

It was four, and Naruto was _freezing his ass off_.

"If you're going to go shopping," he said, "can't you do it in the mall?"

"No way," Sakura said. "The outside shops have better stuff. Thanks for carrying everything, by the way." She smiled at him. Naruto glared back.

Naruto shifted the bags to his opposite hand. He sighed, squinting up at the sky. With the afternoon sun lone gone, the wind seemed sharper and more unforgiving. And, shit, he just hated the cold.

Sakura must have been madder than he thought, to drag him around like this.

"Okay, let's sit down," she decided, clearly in control of this outing.

"_Finally_," Naruto said, and yelped when she hit him.

"Here looks good," Sakura said.

"But why are we sitting outs--"

She grabbed his jacket sleeve and yanked down hard. His ass hit the chair. The bags hit the floor.

"Oi, Sakura--"

But she was gone.

The place she'd chosen jutted right over the river, shadowing a couple riding on boats. Artists sat in the grass and sketched, apparently oblivious to cold. Everyone was dressed up warmly. October in the city sucked. The chill just sank down, thick and heavy, and bleached colors dead. Naruto sighed and checked Sakura's stuff, making sure nothing was damaged. She'd bought a few decorations for her place.

Geez, but she was acting strange today. Naruto tugged his scarf tighter around him. He cupped his hands around his face and puffed warm air into them to try and bring feeling back into his nose.

Sakura came back with food--warm tomato soup, _thank you_--and hot chocolate. Her cheeks were as pink as her dyed hair. "Here," she said. "And someone's going to come with yellow chicken later."

Naruto stared hard at her as she sat down. "Okay, what's wrong?"

"You know, they're still here," Sakura said, picking up a fork.

"What?"

"Those two guys I pointed out on the camera? They're still here."

"What?" Naruto said again.

Sakura picked up her spoon and, very calmly, whacked his cheek with it. Naruto flinched back. "Naruto," she said, very slowly, "_we're being followed._"

"Is _that_ why you've been acting all weird?" Naruto said, and then: "Wait a minute! How'd you know? And why didn't you tell me?"

"Because then _you'd_ act all weird and give us away," Sakura said. "I wanted to see how long they'd stick with us. I don't know if we should go home...."

Naruto looked down at his soup. At least it looked tasty. "Why not?"

"Because then they'd follow us there," Sakura said. "Geez, and I wanted to ask you about Sasuke, not spend the day trying to shake off a trail."

"Why," Naruto said, "do you sound like you're used to this?"

"Oh, that's because I am," Sakura said easily. "Comes with my work. No, I'm not ever telling you what I do. Are you going to eat that?"

"Yes!" Naruto said, and protectively tugged his bowl away from her.

"It's nothing to worry about," Sakura said, smiling, but Naruto saw the tightness of her eyes, the way her gaze dropped down to her hot chocolate instead of meeting his. He didn't press her, though. Besides, the soup was good.

"I, um, went on a date with Uchiha," he said.

"Why are you still calling him by his last name, then?" Sakura said. Then she dropped her fork. "Wait, _what_? But you said you didn't like him! You punched him!"

Naruto didn't mention that she'd done worse to Uchiha. "He's not a very good kisser," he said, and then dodged her slap. He didn't dodge the hit on his arm.

"You're freakishly violent today," Naruto sulked, and raised a hand to ask for a new fork for Sakura. A sullen-looking teenager in an unfortunate-looking uniform shuffled forward with all the enthusiasm of a snail.

"I thought it was weird," Sakura said finally, after the teenager had left. "He kept asking about you. So he was gunning after you from the start, huh...."

There was, Naruto thought, a lot more to it than that. "Sorry," he said.

"It's not your fault. Still, he was so _polite_--Oh, there's our chicken."

Sakura gave him her remaining soup and half of her chicken. The sullen waiter came with a new fork. His expression kind of reminded Naruto of Konohamaru.

"It's a messed up situation, huh," he said.

"Kind of," Sakura agreed. "How was the date?"

Naruto thought about Neji's phone call. "Uh, okay. The guy stays at this suite in the Millennium. It was huge." He swept out his arms to demonstrate, splattering a few drops of tomato soup onto the floor. "And we had sandwiches for breakf--"

"_You stayed overnight?_"

"We didn't sleep together!" Naruto hissed immediately. "_Shit_, Sakura--"

But she was laughing, uselessly trying to cover up her giggles with her hands. "I know, I know," she said. "I just--oh, don't make that face, I was kidding."

"It was just one date," Naruto said, sinking down into his seat. He kicked the chair opposite him. "It doesn't really mean anything."

"So you're not seeing him anymore?"

"... We might do something on Saturday."

Sakura grinned. "Oh?"

"_Oh_," Naruto parroted. "Shit, I don't know, it wasn't like it was a spectacular date or anything."

--except Uchiha had said, _I missed you_, and clutched at him and made him feel _important_, like a treasure long lost recovered--

"I don't know," Sakura said, looking at him thoughtfully over a piece of cut chicken. "With that dumb look on your face, it kind of looks like it _was_ spectacular."

"Not in the way you'd think," Naruto muttered, but he didn't deny her words. "So? Where are we going after this, if we can't go home?"

"We're going to see a movie," Sakura said decisively. "If they're still here after that, we'll stay at a motel or something."

"Really?" Naruto leered. "Why, Sakura, I--"

"Naruto," Sakura said pleasantly, cupping her chin in one hand and picking up her knife with the other, "don't you dare say anything perverted."

Wisely, Naruto shut up.


	6. Chapter Six: Checkout

**Crown & Anchor  
**by Nilladriel

_And things finally get interesting, heh. And it only took six chapters to get there! This chapter bloated up on me like a... bloaty... thing. :x It's, yes, another 6,000 word chapter._

_Updates are going to start slowing down. I have exams coming up. Which is kind of frustrating, actually. I LIKE my current pace--it's pretty fast, considering. And I bet you guys do, too._

**Chapter Six: Checkout**

Sakura looked perfectly calm as she paid for their room, counting up bills with hands that didn't shake. She wasn't smiling. Naruto leaned against the back of a straight-backed, tufted couch. Their shopping bags were at his feet. He was trying not to watch Sakura.

Sakura said the men were still there. Looking out the window, Naruto couldn't see them, but he trusted Sakura. They'd chosen an out of the way motel. It was cheap. Various plants, most of them slowly starting to die, sat sullenly in the corners of the lobby. An old man was reading a newspaper by the double-doors. The TV hoisted in the corner was showing some football match no one was watching.

Naruto tugged off his gloves, stuffing them into his jacket pocket. Outside's chill still stubbornly clung to his clothes, and he rubbed at his pants like it might warm them up.

"Thank you," Sakura said, and stepped back. Her shoes clicked against the tile. Naruto looked up.

"This way," Sakura said, and Naruto sighed as they stepped outside again. Their room was on the bottom floor, not too far from the lobby. Sakura unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Naruto saw the beds first, complete with tacky brown covers. The curtains were yellow. Naruto wrinkled his nose as Sakura flipped the lights on, closing the door behind them. Shit, even _he_ had more taste than this.

"You really are used to this," Naruto said.

"I'm not," Sakura said shortly. "I've never been trailed for so long."

Naruto grabbed her before she could go to the restroom, turning her around and setting his hands on her shoulders. She froze, shoulders tensing; her mouth was pulled thin. "Are you okay?" he asked seriously.

"It's just weird," she said, shaking her head. "I mean... well." She gave him a weak smile. "Are _you_ okay? I mean, Neji as good as said that your Dad's a, well...."

Naruto shrugged. "Kind of shows how little I knew about him," he said.

"Oh, Naruto," Sakura said, and she stepped forward and hugged him. Naruto's breath hitched. Then he closed his eyes, drawing his arms around her and pulling her close. She was cold, but that didn't stop him from warming, the tension of the day dissipating like steam.

"Thanks, Sakura," he said, and she grinned as she let go.

"I'm taking a shower. No peeping!" She held up a hand fisted like a rock, as if Naruto needed a reminder of how strong her punches were. Then she disappeared.

"Right," Naruto said. He toed his shoes off and kicked them in the vague direction of his chosen bed. He lay down, putting an arm over his closed eyes. Sakura had gotten the shower started; the sound of it filled the room, almost like muffled rain.

Damn, but this had been a weird day, from beginning to end.

He flopped over like a fish. Neji. He needed to call Neji, except he'd left his phone at home. Of course. And Sakura guarded her phone like a bitch guarded her pups. No way was he touching it. And there was no phone in the room, which went to show just how cheap the place was. No helping it--he'd have to go to the lobby and ask to use the phone there. Damn. It was freezing outside, too.

With a sigh, Naruto dragged himself up, knocking loudly on the bathroom door. "I'm going out for a bit!" he yelled over the water. "You want anything from the vending machines?"

"Sprite! And chips!" Sakura yelled back. Naruto heard a tap screech murderously, and then: "I know it's just for a bit, but wear your scarf, okay!"

The screeching stopped. Naruto waited for a bit more. "Okay. Be back soon!"

He zipped his jacket securely shut and slung his scarf around his neck, arranging it half-heartedly in obeisance to Sakura.

"Is it just me, or is it colder?" he grumbled to himself, closing their door behind him. It was completely dark. The only light came from the lobby, where the old man was still reading the newspaper. What a creep. Maybe he was like Iruka, who read every single article. Something about _keeping informed_.

He crossed the road quickly, pushing through the glass doors and into the lobby. "Could I use the phone?"

The woman behind the counter looked grouchily at him, and then pushed the phone over with a single finger like it was an infectious disease. "Thanks," Naruto said cheerfully.

"Press one first," she said stonily, and dropped back into her seat, set on playing dead.

Naruto dialed quickly, and then waited impatiently for Neji to pick up. He looked out the window.

It was only seven. Why was it so dark? He could see the flat shapes of cars, the outlines of doors and walls beyond. Everything was gray. Naruto couldn't believe he'd been born during such a depressing month. He sighed theatrically, and then perked when he heard a welcome _click_.

"Good evening. Hyuuga Neji speaking."

"Damn, you're so formal," Naruto said.

"... Naruto? I didn't recognize the number," Neji murmured, after a pause.

"I'm calling from a motel. I wanted to, um, apologize about yesterday." Naruto shifted uncomfortably. He liked to think he was a nice person, but apologies didn't sit well with him. Kiba always said it was because he was stubborn as hell.

"Ah," Neji said. It was hard to judge his tone without a face to look at. "I should apologize, as well."

"It's okay. You didn't know." Naruto stepped to the side, stretching the cord as far as he could, and dropped his voice. "Uh, why were you doing a, you know, on him, anyway?"

"A background check on Uchiha?" Neji said. "I was curious."

What Naruto knew, but sort of wished he didn't, was that Neji had a PI on speed-dial. When Neji was curious, he found shit out. "Right," Naruto said, slowly. "Listen--forget him for now, okay? Could you... could you find out more about my Dad?"

"Of course," Neji said. Naruto thought he heard a smile.

"Okay. I can't talk now, obviously, but maybe sometime later this week?"

There was a long pause. And then Neji, in the familiar tone he used when he wasn't sure he wanted to know, said: "Why _are _you at a motel?"

"Ehehehe." Naruto grinned. "I'll talk to you later!"

"Naru--"

He hung up. "Thanks," he told the woman behind the counter, and she flapped a hand at him, not even opening her eyes. Naruto made a face at her, which was technically rude, but it wasn't like she saw.

Then it was back outside. The vending machines were by the stairs, and Naruto dug into his pockets for change. Sprite for Sakura, and chips. And for Naruto--

"Pretzels," Naruto muttered.

Goods in one hand, he turned around. The wind rustled. And something, a tingling feeling on the back of his neck, made him raise his head and _look_.

There was a car at the far end, close to his and Sakura's room. It wasn't empty. The two men inside made Naruto think of Sakura, and the bridge, and the camera.

The car hadn't been there before.

Naruto walked past it, carefully not looking, and knocked on the door to their room.

"_What_," Sakura said, pulling the door open. She was dressed in only a towel and a t-shirt. Naruto spent a few seconds leering, and then remembered himself. "Here's your stuff. By the way, what happens if the two guys in the car are still here tomorrow?"

Sakura opened her Sprite and took a long, generous drink. "Where's the car?" she said flatly.

"Uh.... Behind us, a few cars to the... left, I think?" Naruto guessed, scrounging up his face as he tried to remember.

Sakura was staring at him.

"What?" Naruto said.

"I hope you're just being an idiot," she said, "like usual. And that you're wrong."

"Hey!" he started, and she grinned and grabbed his wrist, pulling him inside. As soon as she shut the door, the grin dropped off her face like a dead fly.

"I don't get it. I've never seen anyone so _persistent_." She worried her lip. "And we can't spend another night here, you've got school and I have... stuff. To do."

"We could call Ne--"

"_No_." Sakura rubbed the back of her neck. Naruto stared.

"Why not? He usually helps us out with stuff like this."

"_No_, Naruto," Sakura said, in a way that made Naruto step back, hands raised in careful surrender. Sakura sighed. "It's complicated, okay?" She looked at the window, as if she wanted to open the blinds and see if the men were still there.

Naruto squinted. "Why would anyone want to follow you, anyway?"

"It's complicated," Sakura repeated. "And it's not something Neji can help with. It just comes with my job, okay? I'm sorry you got dragged into it. I didn't think they'd stick for so long."

"Um. It's okay," Naruto said, like he was guessing the answer to a question on a pop quiz. "Why don't we just sleep?"

Sakura gave him an incredulous look. "It's way too early for that," she said. "We should order dinner."

Naruto's eyes narrowed into slits, and he made a decision. "Argh, no, let's go out," Naruto said. "This place reeks."

When Sakura looked down, slamming the cap back onto her Sprite bottle like it had stolen a boyfriend, Naruto said, "Okay, how about _I _go out and get take-away, and you stay in here?"

"No," Sakura said.

"Why not?"

"It's not safe." She was shaking the bottle furiously. Naruto hoped it wouldn't explode.

"For _you_, yeah. I'm not the one being followed, right?" Naruto pointed out. "It'll only be for a bit. So it should be okay."

She bit her lip again. "Argh. Fine. Okay. But if anything happens, call me!"

"Sure," Naruto said, not telling her he'd forgotten his phone. "You want anything specific?"

"Thai? Chinese? Indian?" Sakura said. "Anything spicy." She smiled weakly, more relaxed now that the decision was made. Naruto grinned again and, for the _n_th time that night, turned to step outside again.

Well, Naruto thought. Guess I should get some food in my stomach first. Maybe it would choke some of the tingling anticipation bounding in his stomach.

It took him a single glance to memorize what the car looked like. Then he stepped onto the road, and past the tall, creaking sign. M TEL, it announced, and then nothing else.

There was a long stretch of road to walk before Naruto would reach a line of shops they'd passed by before. He cradled his head against the net of his fingers, looked up at the sky. Still dark, and tomorrow it would take a while for the morning to creep in. The few stars unafraid of city luminescence peeked down shyly, winking at him in dubious support.

He made himself think about his lesson-plans. He'd think up something extra-messy--plaster, maybe--and goad Konohamaru into cleaning it. Or do something inane for the hell of it, like blowing bubbles of paint onto the canvas. And then he'd make Konohamaru clean it. The brat had been getting off light lately.

He resisted the urge to look behind him, to check if the men were following. He wasn't clever, like Sakura, who'd used her camera to see behind, so he'd just have to keep walking. He had to trust his instincts.

Which sounded great in his head, like some line out of an action movie, with the hero decked out and silhouetted against the background. Too bad Naruto was just an art teacher.

But, before he'd been a teacher, he'd gone to a private boarding school. Which had been nice, except for the fights, and the fights, and the fights, which was what you got for having Gaara as a best friend, before... well, before he'd had to flee, packed up and left and made Naruto have to look for a new roommate in his junior year. And that was probably about the only thing Naruto would ever get pissed at Gaara for, because he'd ended up with _Sai_, who Naruto would always remember as _that freak pervert obsessed with my dick._

Not in a good way, either.

That was how he'd gotten so close to Sakura, come to think of it. He'd escaped to her room to avoid Sai, never-mind that it was against the rules.

He turned into a side-street and saw gold: a Thai restaurant on the corner. The tables and chairs spilled out onto the streets, obstructing traffic with good food and customers despite the cold. Fans were suspended on metal struts, in case anyone wanted to be even colder, maybe.

The place was packed full inside, which probably explained why some particular idiots still chose to sit outside. Naruto chewed his bottom lip, sighed, and decided to be one of those particular idiots. "Guess I'll have a seat out there, huh?" he told the waitress up front, who smiled prettily, if blankly, at him.

Sakura was wrong. _Everyone hits on you_ my ass, he thought, and resigned himself to a boring, lonely dinner without even a waitress to flirt with.

He got hot soup, with plenty of vegetables in case Sakura grilled him later. For her he got some kind of soup-and-noodles in a box, with oily black sauce, the kind of meal that tasted great but probably packed enough shit to make the weak of heart keel over. He scooted his chair over, looked around and raised his hand. He didn't see the two men. Maybe his instincts were wrong, which didn't explain the static-electricity feeling on the back of his neck or on his arms.

When the waitress came, he flashed her his best smile. "Could I have some hot tea?" he asked. She gave him a disinterested look, a bland nod, and walked off, once again proving Sakura wrong.

He twisted around to watch her go. Maybe she was just cold. He'd be, too, in a uniform like that--

_There!_ They were still in the car. Naruto let himself leer at the waitress' ass as a self-congratulatory present to himself, and then attacked his meal with renewed energy.

The tea lit a fire in him, the hot flames of anticipation warming his toes and fingers. Naruto picked up the plastic bag with Sakura's dinner in it, paid his bill and, with one last leer at the waitress (she glared), walked out of the restaurant.

Behind any commercial area, there was always a back-area, where people lived or employees parked. This one wasn't any different. Keeping himself visible in an open area, he walked around the corner. Empty space greeted him. There were cars here, and a long line of bikes that someone had knocked over. Naruto squeezed himself between a large recycling bin and the wall and waited.

_I WUZ HERE_, said a red spray of graffiti three inches away. Naruto nodded at it in grim agreement.

As long as he pretended he was back at school, ready to jump whoever had insulted him _this_ time, Naruto wasn't nervous. He shifted his weight, closed his right hand into a proper fist like Sakura had taught him: thumb outside, fingers secure against his palm, wrist straightened. He licked his lips.

It didn't take long. The first of the two men came, looking worried. Naruto counted slowly to himself, mouthing the numbers with his lips. He trembled. Ten--nine--eight--_walk faster, damn you_--five--four--three--_just a bit more_--two--and _one_--

He stood up and threw his weight forward. The punch landed solidly on the man's face. Something snapped.

"_Please_ tell me you're the bastard that's been following us," Naruto said, "or I'll feel like a complete _ass_--"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. The man flung a leg out. It caught Naruto in the shin, and he tumbled forward, barely remembering to make his body roll with the force. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_, how had he done this as a high-schooler?

No--this was way different from high-school fights. Naruto scrambled up and watched the other man do the same, except the smooth way he moved made him think of--

Lee. Lee, who had a belt in every martial art under the sun, and Naruto had the time to think _oh shit_ before a full-body blow knocked him solidly backwards. His ass hit jagged asphalt. Wind expelled from his lungs and left him empty and dizzy.

His right hand hit--something smooth, definitely not asphalt. Naruto didn't think. He curled his fingers around the plastic and flung Sakura's dinner in the man's face.

Something burst open. The man yelled. Flecks of soup hit gray asphalt. Naruto pushed himself up and off, letting his weight pull him forward, and then they both hit the ground.

The man was gasping. The food must've been hot, Naruto thought. He didn't bother to feel guilty about it, because the man was putting his hands against Naruto's shoulders in a move he recognized, one that Lee had used on him once--

No way in hell was he letting the man flip him. "Sorry," Naruto said, meaning it, and slammed his knee down.

The man crumpled. Naruto backed up, pressed his shoe onto the man's hand.

"Were you one of the guys following me or not?" Naruto demanded. He was panting. Heat simmered, on his skin and in his chest. Naruto didn't feel the cold anymore.

The man didn't answer, didn't even look up. His free hand was still clutching his crotch and he was shuddering. He probably hadn't heard. Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he opened them and decided to take a page out of Gaara's book.

He pressed down with his foot. It must have hurt, but the man only twitched. "Were you?" Naruto snapped, voice rising.

Then his eyes narrowed. "Wait a--where's your partner?"

The man still wasn't answering.

Naruto didn't want to break the man's hand. He really, really didn't, and anyway serious violence had always been Gaara's thing, back when Naruto hadn't been around to stop him. He worried his lower lip, not really thinking, his thoughts tumbling into each other. High-school fights had never been like this, either. There'd always been a lot of yelling afterwards, and posturing, and promises of revenge.

He was years out of high-school, though. So Naruto put more weight on his foot and said, quiet and almost begging, "Please don't make me do something I don't want to do."

He thought, Please, please, _please_--

The man gave one last shudder. He tilted his head, looking up with one wild eye. "It was just a one-day job. I don't know who hired me, it came through the mail like everything else--shit, just let me _go_, I didn't ask for this!"

He had thin lips, a narrow stare. His hair was long for a guy's and fell into his eyes. He looked like any other person Naruto might have met on the street.

Naruto shifted his weight. "Where's your partner?"

The man grit his teeth, but didn't otherwise react. "Saw him running off--he was just a kid, a rookie--let me _go_--"

Naruto stepped back. Before the man could even move to rise, he snapped his foot forward in a controlled kick. Then he turned and walked off, long strides to cover as much distance as possible, through the little street between a restaurant and a bookhop. He wondered what his students would think if they saw him now. If _Iruka_ saw him now, or Hinata, or even his older friends.

In the alley, he stopped for a moment to take a deep breath. He felt sick. He could feel his fingers trembling in his gloves.

He'd gotten his new scarf dirty. Naruto fingered the ends, looking at them unhappily.

He needed to buy a Sakura a new meal. For some reason, he wanted to delay seeing her as much as possible. Any excuse would do.

Naruto closed his eyes. Well, at least he'd confirmed his suspicions:

The men had been following him, not Sakura.

* * *

Naruto knocked. Sakura opened the door and gave him a relieved smile. "There you are! I was beginning to worry, you idiot."

For some weird reason, the word _idiot_ made Naruto think, snatchingly, of Uchiha. Then he shook his head. "Sorry. I kind of, er, fell, and then I had to go back to buy your food again, and--"

"Just get inside," Sakura said. Naruto grinned, and stepped back inside the room.

"I asked for actual food, not pizza," Sakura told him. Naruto looked down at the boxes in his arms.

"Oh, right. No, your food's here." He raised his right hand, and tried not to think about the way his knuckles ached from his punch. He hoped they weren't bruised--if Sakura saw, she'd start asking questions, and Naruto felt vaguely nauseous at the thought, and guilty.

He had half a mind to blame Gaara, for making violence even seem like a good solution, except--

"You know, the car's gone."

"Huh?" Sakura said, in the middle of unfolding the box. The flaps were always tricky. "Really?"

"Yeah, take a look. I noticed just now," Naruto said easily. He put his pizza down onto the bed and watched as Sakura opened the blinds, gasped, and then drew them up completely. She looked left, right, and Naruto wondered at the practiced look of it, the way she examined everything in sight carefully and slowly.

"You're right," Sakura said. "I can't see them anywhere. Hold on, I'm going to go outside and double-check--"

She grabbed her jacket, fitting it over her shirt. Naruto said, "Okay," and opened the bathroom door.

He clicked it shut behind him, pressing the palms of his hand flat against the door. The back of his head hit the door, and Naruto took a deep breath. He swore he could feel his heart thudding inside his chest, drumming out a beat like the back-track of the rap songs his students liked to listen to.

Slowly, he slid down. His ass hurt when he hit the floor, maybe because of--because of earlier.

Naruto curled his arms around his knees. He hadn't taken off his jacket, and his limbs felt awkward and bulky. He rested his forehead on an arm and curled himself in tighter. He was shaking, not crying but muffling frantic breaths in the smooth folds of his jacket. His gloved hands shook, so he clenched them until they stopped. His eyes squeezed shut.

And--quietly, because Sakura might hear, she might come in and hear--Naruto let himself break down.

* * *

Naruto wasn't surprised when he found himself unable to sleep.

He felt filthy, for one. Sakura had clothes she'd bought on her earlier spree, but all Naruto had were his own. He'd cleaned himself up as best as he could. The bathroom mirror had showed slight scratches on his back and hinted at a bruise on his chest, so he'd been forced to wear his shirt to bed. He didn't, normally.

He rolled around like a restless three-year-old. His hand ached. He wanted to be home, or at least somewhere familiar--Kiba's house, or Neji's. Even Sakura's, the few times she let him in.

Anywhere but here.

The pizza he'd downed sat thick in his stomach. Naruto frowned and made faces at himself in the dark. He curled his fingers, shook them out surreptitiously. They still complained.

At three in the morning, Naruto said, "Screw this, I can't sleep, I'm gonna go watch a movie."

Sakura rolled over, staring at him sleepily. "Oh, good," she said, not really sounding awake at all. Her hand hit the wall, and she mumbled something else, curling up.

Naruto muffled his laughter. He crawled out of his bed and found a pad of paper in the drawer. No pencil, though, so--with a glance to make sure she didn't see--Naruto found Sakura's eyeliner pencil in the mess of her purse and used it to scribble his message:

_Gone out to kill time. Couldn't sleep, might stumble back drunk._

He drew a smiley-face, signed his name, and stuck the note on top of Sakura's contact lens case. Then he bundled himself up and slipped out.

He had to walk all the way back to the earlier restaurant before he could finally flag down a taxi. At this time of night they tended to cloister around the bars. He had to wave his arm like a madman, and the driver who finally stopped in front of him probably thought he was just a typical drunk.

Which Naruto might be, on any other weekend, but--no. He was sober tonight. Which sucked.

He said, "Thanks, man," slowly and clearly. Neji's address sat on the tip of his tongue, the go-to destination whenever he fucked up bad, except what Naruto actually said was, "The Millennium," and then he bit his tongue.

The bewildered expression the taxi driver gave him probably matched Naruto's own, like they were both asking why a guy like Naruto would want to go to the Millennium.

He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes and decided it didn't matter.

It was a long drive; he and Sakura had walked pretty far out. But, unlike the first time Naruto went to the hotel, there was no traffic. He watched the outside view blur past in a quiet, exhausted slump.

"Hey, we're here," the driver said, and Naruto started, opening his eyes.

"Uh," he said, and rubbed at his eyes, shaking his shoulders like it might make him more awake. "Thanks, here--"

He remembered to take off his gloves before he took out his wallet. Then he stepped out, closed the door behind him, and the urge to turn around, jump back in, and just _go back_ slammed into him. Naruto grit his teeth and made himself stand still. He had no idea why the hell he was here, but damned if he was going to run away.

"I don't run away," he muttered under his breath, and stalked up the stairs and through the glass entrance. Dead silence met him, telling him that obviously no one sane was up at this hour. He stalked to the elevators.

A door opened immediately when he pressed _up_, and Naruto pressed his lips together, catching his tongue between. Walking into the lift was like walking against the wind.

The elevator doors closed.

Naruto tugged his scarf free, letting it dangle down. He hadn't cleaned it yet, or wiped it off properly. He unzipped his jacket, took off his gloves, and then realized he was fidgeting. The elevator dinged at him like it agreed.

"Shut up. I'm an idiot," he muttered, and stepped out of the elevator. "And I'm probably waking the bastard up."

He was right. When Uchiha finally opened the door after an eternity of knocking, his hair was completely messy--messier than Naruto's was in the morning, even. His features had that dragged-down look of the newly awake, and he was down to a shirt and boxers.

Also, he was gaping.

"What are you doing here, you moron?" Uchiha asked.

Naruto let the insult slide. He shoved his hands into his pockets, tried on a smile, and said, "Hey, would you mind if I call you Sasuke?"

* * *

Uchiha had beer, thank fuck.

No, wait, Naruto thought. _Sasuke_ had beer. He tried the name out in the privacy of his head, decided he liked it, and let it stay.

"Guess I couldn't wait 'till next week to see you," Naruto said.

They were in the bedroom--_the TV's bigger in there, shit,_ Naruto had said, except neither of them had moved to turn it on. It sat in its seat, framed by open doors, looking sullenly at them like, well, an abandoned TV. Naruto made faces at his reflection, grinned at the way his face distorted

Uchiha--

(no, it was Sasuke now)

--didn't look enthusiastic to see him, maybe because he was an ungrateful bastard. Naruto finished his can and put it down, empty, on the bedside table. The bed was so big he had to reach and stretch his arm, and he winced as his body reminded him of the earlier fight.

"Something's wrong."

Sasuke's voice was like an arrow in the silence, and Naruto flinched, and then grinned.

"Well, yeah."

He didn't reach for another can of beer. Instead, Naruto scooted next to Sasuke, stole _his_ can, and said, "Hey, if a guy punched you, threw hot soup at you, kicked you, and, oh yeah, stepped on your hand, would you call that guy a bastard?"

Sasuke said, "Give that back."

Naruto tilted his head back and chugged it down. He remembered how long it always took him to get drunk. Suddenly it wasn't something to be proud of.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and turned to look solemnly at Uchiha--at Sasuke. "No, seriously. Would you?"

Sasuke said, "Yes," and Naruto let expelled a long breath.

"Yeah, I would too," he said, and looked up at the ceiling. "Damn, I'm tired."

"So go to sleep."

"I don't feel like it. Hey, are you really in love with me?"

Sasuke's lips curled. He had a look on his face that suggested he was suffering through a headache. Which, really, wasn't that uncommon a look when people dealt with Naruto. "I told you," he said icily, "I fell in love with you the moment we first met." Like it was--not a burden, but a not-so-fortunate turn in his life.

Naruto looked at him. It was possibly the coldest declaration of love anyone had ever given him. It completely failed to move him at all. In fact, Sasuke's expression--like Naruto had just insulted him, or some such shit--made him want to laugh, and laugh, and never stop.

So he did, muffling the sounds against the other man's shoulder.

Sasuke punched him, but lightly, and said, "_What_."

"You're funny," Naruto said.

"Are you drunk?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

"Do I look like some dog-breath lightweight to you?" Naruto asked, offended. He shook his head. "Nah, I'm just...."

Really disgusted with myself, he thought, and sighed. He shifted, pressed his nose against Sasuke's neck, and smiled when he felt the other man stiffen.

He said, "Naruto--"

"Shut up. We're dating now, right? I'm allowed to do this." Naruto tilted his head, running his tongue along Sasuke's jaw. He felt muscles shift as Sasuke swallowed, and felt proud, so he did it again, tracing the line from ear to chin to collar-bone.

Except Sasuke was gripping his shoulders hard, digging his fingers in, and pulling him away. "_Stop_," he said. "I'm not letting you use me like this."

Naruto stared hard at him and said, "When did we meet?"

Sasuke's jaw dropped open slightly. "I don't know," he said. "A long time ago. When we were seven."

"How the hell could a seven-year-old fall in love with another seven-year-old?" Naruto asked, disgusted. He tried to move back, only Sasuke was still holding him. Shit, but the guy had a grip like iron.

Sasuke said, "I don't know."

"Exactly," Naruto said. "There's got to be some better bastard out there for you to freak out and confess love to and stalk."

There was a moment, unfolding slowly and stretching. And then Sasuke connected the dots and said, "If I knew the reasons why a guy might punch me, kick me, or step on my hand, I might not call him a bastard."

Naruto blinked at him, and then smiled. "Wow. Oh, okay." He reached up, put his hands around Sasuke's wrists, and said, "He was following me. Trailed after me the whole day."

The reaction wasn't instantaneous, but it was still pretty funny to watch the way Sasuke's face change, the way he said, "_What_," and then: "--since when--"

"Um. The guy said it was a one-day job. Sakura spotted them when we went out. There were only two of them, but I only jumped one." Naruto looked down and confessed, "The worst thing is, I _liked_ beating him up."

When he glanced up, Sasuke was looking at him with a strange expression--almost scared. And then he said, suddenly, "That doesn't matter."

"I think it does, bastard," Naruto snorted.

So Sasuke pressed him down into the mattress and kissed him. Naruto's back twinged. The rest of him didn't care. He felt giddy, like a teenager in a dorm room, an ear out for a returning roommate.

"Hold on," he breathed, and shifted them both onto their sides. Then he put his lips against Sasuke's neck, mouthing the hollow there with lips slick with saliva. Sasuke shuddered. An arm wove around him, clutching at the back of his shirt. Naruto read it as encouragement. He opened is mouth wider, followed the line of Sasuke's collarbone, the slope up his neck. Their lips met again. The kiss was short, almost chaste, and then Naruto moved back down.

He reached behind absently to catch Sasuke's wandering hands, not wanting to be reminded of his injuries. Not wanting them to be known, either. Sasuke murmured something, a question, maybe. Naruto pressed a gentle kiss against the line that divided skin and cloth, maybe in answer.

He closed his eyes, pressed his cheek against Sasuke's chest. Said, "I'm sorry for waking you. I think."

Sasuke snorted. Then he shifted up, the movement sudden. Naruto opened an eye. "Huh?"

"You stink," Sasuke said. "Take a shower. I'll lend you some clothes."

"... Oh. Huh. Okay. Um. I'll be quick." Naruto shook his head slightly, feeling dazed. The guilt was gone, he realized--or at least, if not entirely gone, it had died down, like just-boiled water starting to still. He slid off the bed.

The shower was as quick as he promised. The water made his back sting slightly, but he ignored it.

Sasuke opened the door just as Naruto finished wrapping the towel around his waist. He was holding a gray shirt in his hands, and a pair of shorts. Naruto's eyes lit up.

"Thanks!" he said, and reached out. Sasuke didn't move.

"Um." Naruto waved his hand, as if willing the shirt to magically float to him. It didn't. "Uchi--Sasuke? What's up?"

At his name, Sasuke's gaze snapped up. Naruto felt like rearing back at that dark gaze. He opened his mouth, but his words caught in his throat, stuck.

"I didn't realize you were hurt."

"What are you--" And then Naruto looked down, saw what Sasuke was looking at.

"Oh. It's okay. I bruise easily. It was kind of my fault, anyway." He rubbed his hair absently. He'd kept it out of the shower, but the ends were damp, anyway, releasing stray drops down his neck and chilling his skin in sure, curling lines. "I might have... well, they were pissing me off, so I kind of ambushed 'em. One of 'em. The other guy ran off. It made 'em stop, anyway." Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Oi, are you _smiling_--?"

"You're an idiot," Sasuke said, and threw his clothes at Naruto. They hit him in the face. "Hurry up and change."

"You're grumpy," Naruto mumbled, but did as asked. Sasuke's clothes were too big for him. He tugged the shirt down and scowled.

"Come here," Sasuke said, and Naruto said, "_No_," but followed anyway.

Sasuke pulled the bedsheets back down. "Get in," he said, simply.

Naruto stopped. He laughed, nervously. "You know," he said, slowly, "you have a perfectly serviceable co--"

"Just _get in._"

Naruto did. It was the tone of voice, maybe. Anyway, the bed was soft, and the covers were as well. "Were you always this bossy?" he muttered.

"Yes," Sasuke said. He tugged the covers up around them, pulling Naruto down with a sure grip on his arm.

Naruto blinked. "Uh, Sasuke...?"

"Go to sleep," Sasuke mumbled. "It's nearly four. I have a meeting tomorrow."

"Oh. Sorry about th--"

"_Go to sleep._"

Naruto bit his tongue to stifle laughter. He shifted closer, nudging Sasuke's shoulder with his own. He closed his eyes. He'd have to call Sakura later, tell her not to worry, he was safe. And he'd maybe talk with Neji, because maybe Sakura could deal with people following her but Naruto sure as hell couldn't. And then he'd...

he would...

Naruto fell asleep.


	7. Chapter Seven: Drown

**Crown & Anchor  
**by Nilladriel

_Short chapter, but it seemed appropriate to end it where I did. Enjoy._

_My first exam is tomorrow. Fanfiction is a helpful distraction._

**Chapter Seven: Drown**

Naruto woke up in someone's arms. He hadn't done that since college, and Sakura. It was a nice feeling, except that his arm was numb, and the problem there was the _lack_ of feeling, nice or not. He braced an elbow on the bed and inched away, freeing the trapped limb. Damn, but Sasuke was heavy.

Also, still asleep.

Naruto shook out a hand as tingles raced up and down his arm, like ants high on electricity crawling under his skin. It was still dark, which meant he'd caught only an hour or two of sleep at most.

For some people, sleep transformed them into angels, or stole years away from their face. Sasuke... definitely wasn't one of those people. In the dim light, the shadows accentuated his angular features. Without the habitual frown, the slack muscles of his face meant it looked blank. Naruto traced the contours of Sasuke's lips with his eyes and remembered how soft they'd been. Sasuke was probably one of those freaks constantly armed with lip balm.

Yawning, he eased out of bed, shivering when the cool air hit him. He went to the bathroom quickly, barely remembering to wash his hands. Just before he headed back bed, he turned to the mirror and tugged his shirt up, revealing the flat plane of his stomach, newly decorated with the ugly purple-red of bruises. It didn't hurt, but it was colorful enough that it seemed like it should.

Huh. Looked vaguely like Africa, actually, if he tilted his head sideways. That was an idea--he'd have the kids draw a map on his chest for their next project. Hell, that bit on his lower ribs looked enough like Mozambique for the idea to be plausible.

... Okay, or maybe he seriously needed to get back to bed.

He rubbed his cheek tiredly, shuffling back and closing the door behind him. Sasuke had shifted slightly to the left, face tilted down so that Naruto could see his profile. His hair was... really, really messy, and Naruto's fingers twitched.

For once in his life, he got into bed slowly, pulling the covers back up. Sleeping together in a bed with someone, Naruto had learned, usually took a while to get used to, especially since Naruto was the sort of person who slept like he was waging war: blankets and pillows were the prize. But pillows didn't matter when he could use Sasuke's arm as one, and there were miles and miles of blankets and sheets on the huge bed.

And he just... fit, really. Slipped back into the warmth, back into Sasuke's arms, like he'd never left.

It was a half-thought more than anything, comprising more feeling than actual words, but Naruto wondered if, just maybe, this--_them_, he and Sasuke--could work, even if they'd only met two weeks ago--

* * *

When he woke up again, it was still dark, but the sun was beginning to win the battle: Naruto opened his eyes and saw gray-yellow spread across the room like butter. The thought made his stomach complain.

Sasuke was--somewhere. Naruto listened. Talking, judging by his voice. Maybe he was ordering breakfast again?

Feeling hopeful, Naruto stretched. He kicked the covers off, heading towards the door. Yes! Sasuke _was_ on the phone, and he was...

... he was pissed off, actually. Huh. Naruto slipped through the cracked door. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"--I'm sick of your interference!"

That was... yeah, a pissed-off sort of voice. Naruto was curious now. He grinned. What kind of conversation was Sasuke having? And where _was_ he--?

Hunched over on the couch, turned out, shoulders aggressively tense like he was trying not to jump through the phone line and strangle whoever was on the other end. Naruto felt his grin widen. He was going to permanently cramp his muscles like that.

"I know what you're doing, Orochimaru," Sasuke hissed. Naruto opened his mouth to interrupt and demand food--

"He told me people were following him," Sasuke snapped, and Naruto clicked his jaw shut.

... What kind of conversation, huh. It didn't take Naruto much to figure out this wasn't a conversation he was supposed to hear, which was why he took a few steps back into the shadow of the bedroom door and, carefully, listened.

"I--no, goddammit, Orochimaru, _stay away from him_. What if he gets suspicious?"

A pause. Naruto stared up at the ceiling.

"That's no reason for you to to get him trailed. I--!"

His hands brushed against the fabric of his shirt. Naruto looked down and thought, No, it's not mine, it's Sasuke's.

"You'll _get_ Namikaze's precious son. I told you. Just give me some fucking _time_."

He was wearing Sasuke's shirt. He'd woken Sasuke up in the middle of the night, slept in the same bed as him. Just two nights ago, he'd brought Sasuke pizza. Naruto closed his eyes. Yeah. He'd done all that, but now he just wanted to lea--

_"NO!_"

Naruto jumped, whipping his gaze back to Sasuke. He'd stood up. The bastard would probably regret that in a moment, considering his leg. Not, Naruto thought, that I care. His lips curled, baring teeth.

Then Sasuke stilled. He--loosened up, sitting slowly back down, wincing as he did. His shoulders were relaxed. Except that he was still gripping his phone too tight, and even from the door, Naruto could see the white in his fingers, his knuckles. He was surprised the phone was still intact.

"No. _No._ I _won't_--" Sasuke started, voice so soft Naruto had to strain to hear. "I won't... I can't just kidnap him. Because... because--not until I get him away from his goddamn friends."

Naruto took a step back. He thought of the bus ticket Sasuke had given him. He felt sick, sicker than he had last night. His hands shook.

He couldn't listen anymore. He slipped back into the bedroom.

The TV stared at him. So did his reflection, distorted and shaded black. Naruto tore his eyes away, walking slowly--zombielike--to the bed. Sasuke's clothes itched, rough against his skin.

His hands were still shaking.

He got back into bed. The blankets were like an anchor--or like armor, maybe, folded metal sheets against the rising sun and the rising nausea. Naruto could still feel the collected warmth from where the two of them had slept. He moved away from it, squeezing his eyes shut.

Thought: I'm an idiot.

Thought: Fuck. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_.

His reached out to grab a pillow, then snapped his hand back when he felt the warmth still residing there. No. _No._

Naruto breathed deep, forced air into his lungs. It didn't chase any of the nausea out.

He heard the door open. Naruto froze, listening to Sasuke's limping footsteps. Then they stopped. Naruto counted in his head, reached twenty, forty, sixty seconds. There was no more sound. What was Sasuke--

Lips ghosted against his cheek. "Get up, idiot."

Naruto didn't move. There was a sigh, warm against his ear.

"I know you're awake, you know." Except Sasuke sounded amused, and when Naruto slowly slid his eyes open, he saw a smirk. Sasuke's bangs brushed against his skin. He stared. Enveloped in shock, he didn't react when Sasuke kissed him again, another press of heat against his cheek, and then his forehead. "Damn, you look sleepy. _Were_ you asleep? Did I wake you?"

--Sasuke didn't know. Of course. He didn't know that Naruto had heard--

"Yeah," Naruto said. The word half-caught in his throat.

"Sorry." Sasuke didn't look like he meant it--just lazily amused, a smirk built into the curve of his lips. "I just wanted to tell you that I have to go for a bit. If you want breakfast, just pick up the phone and order. They'll have whatever you ask for; if they don't, they'll go out and get it."

Another kiss, except this time Naruto turned his head slightly, so that their lips met. His heart thudded against his chest. He didn't answer. He thought he might choke on whatever he tried to say.

"You can go back to sleep," Sasuke said. He reached down, tucked the covers securely around Naruto like he was some kid, even retrieved the pillow Naruto had shied away from.

Then--he left, closing the door behind him. Naruto lay still--very, very still. He counted in his head--down from a hundred, like Neji had taught him, and then up again, and then down in twos, threes, fours.

When he was sure Sasuke had left the suite, he sat up and grabbed the pillow that Sasuke had given him. And then--

"_FUCK!_"

--threw it as hard as he could. He didn't feel any better.

He held his breath, waiting for footsteps and Sasuke's voice. Hoping for it, really, but he only heard the soft exhale of the pillow as it slid down the window and to the floor.

No. Calm down. Breathe.

... Maybe he'd heard wrong.

He _had_ to have heard wrong--

(_You'll _get_ Namikaze's precious son,_ Sasuke had said.)

Naruto pressed his palms against his forehead and took a deep breath. Too many blows. Too many blows in too short a time. His head hurt. His Dad--those two men--and now Sasuke, damn, _fuck him--_

Calm, he thought. Calm down. Take a deep breath. Think.

Think.

Not about that phone conversation. About--breakfast, and a shower. About getting the fuck out of Sasuke's clothes. About how good it would feel to punch the bastard as soon as he came back--

Yeah. Okay. Good plan. He'd misheard. He _must_ have misheard.

* * *

Naruto ordered breakfast. His stomach was never discouraged by drama.

The food came quickly and arrived hot. Naruto mustered up the energy to smile. Room service--a man, this time, uniform pressed flat, shoes shiny like metal--smiled shakily back, and then fled. Maybe there was something on Naruto's face, or something. He stabbed his pancakes vengefully. The stack quivered.

Naruto ate just a bit less than usual, which meant he ate enough for two instead of the usual three.

He'd already changed back into his clothes. He hadn't even bothered showering.

Naruto wasn't good at waiting, but he used to do it all the time. They'd had a swing--more a plank, really, suspended by thick, rough rope. He'd curl his hands around that furry texture, sit on that plank, and just--listen, listen very carefully, for the sound of their car, huffing and wheezing its way back, and then he'd look up and see hair lighter and messier than his, and blue eyes....

He really wasn't good at waiting.

He settled back onto the couch, nursing a glass--water, not alcohol. He sloshed it around. There were no clocks in the room, which made the waiting worse.

The swing hadn't lasted for long. Naruto had broken an arm. He didn't remember how, but after that the swing was gone. Naruto had taken to the garden, except there he'd always fallen asleep. The grass was soft. He'd always woken up in his own bed, all tucked in.

He'd always, always waited, even when it was cold. His gloves were always worn through, soft enough to be useless, so he'd used scarves to wrap his hands, and he'd sit and watch the road where it disappeared into forest.

There was a click, and Naruto returned to the present. The door opened. He wondered what time it was. He made his fingers relax, holding the glass loosely. He took another sip.

He looked up as Sasuke approached. He wasn't wearing a jacket. Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, and then his eyes fell on Naruto's face.

Naruto didn't waste time. He put the glass down; the _chink_ echoed, too loud. "Who's Orochimaru?"

Sasuke sat down. His eyes narrowed. "So you _were_ awake," he said.

Naruto rubbed his thumb against the lip of the glass. "Um, yeah," he said. "So? Who is he?"

"How much did you hear?" Sasuke asked. Naruto recognized the question. He heard it a lot from his students. _What do I have to lie about?  
_  
"Are you going to tell me?" Naruto returned. There was half a room between them, and the table, and a tray full of empty dishes. The jug distorted half of Sasuke's face, twisting his lips up-down, widening one of his eyes. The other half of his face was tense, slightly strained.

"He was the one who arranged for you to be followed," Sasuke said finally.

"Why the hell would he follow me?" Naruto asked. And then, because he was a fool who gave everybody the benefit of the doubt, he said, "Because of you?"

"Because of me," Sasuke confirmed, only he meant it a different way than Naruto did. "I told him about you."

Naruto's lips were dry. He said, "Why?"

Sasuke didn't look away, even as he said, "Because of your connection to Sarutobi."

"... How the hell does that old man figure into this?"

Sasuke's lips parted. His eyes widened slightly. Naruto watched the way his cheeks jumped as he clenched his teeth. "It doesn't matter."

"Fine." Naruto shrugged. He wasn't about to swing a hammer to get at an answer he didn't really care about. "I thought you said no one knew about me."

"Orochimaru didn't," Sasuke confirmed. "Not until I told him."

"Yeah?" Naruto's lips curled. He wasn't learning anything. The conversation wasn't going well. If it were Neji, he'd have danced around Sasuke by now. If it were Sakura, he would've just used his fists. If it were Gaara--No. No, don't think like that.

Sasuke said, "You're angry," and the tone was cool, striving for disconnected. It didn't fit his expression.

"You fucked up," Naruto said at last. "You fucked up bad, Uchiha." He stood.

Sasuke stood, as well. They stared at each other. Sasuke was completely still. Naruto's hands were shaking again.

(It would be so easy.)

(It would be _so_ easy. Sasuke had thrown a good punch, he remembered that, he might have been able to hold his own but he was hurt and--it would be _so easy_, just kick out at his leg, throw him down--)

"Don't leave. Don't you dare leave."

Each word was a bullet. Naruto's jaw dropped. "What the _fuck_?" he said. "Why the hell do you think you get to decide--"

_I'm never letting you go again,_ Naruto remembered.

Air rushed in, sharp against his nose and throat. "You do. You think you do. You utter _bastard_."

"Why wouldn't I?"

The strained expression was gone. Sasuke's chin was tilted at a challenging angle. His lips were pulled back slightly.

It was an expression trying for arrogant, but Sasuke just looked lost.

Naruto took a step forward. (It would be so easy.) Sasuke kept sneering.

"You _don't_," Naruto hissed.

"You're not the one who decides that," Sasuke said, softly.

Naruto's sweeping hand caught the tray. The sting, narrow and sharp, traveled up his arm and shocked his elbow. The tray hit the ground a split second later. The jug shattered; the plates rolled and cracked. A knifenicked the wall, bounced, slid against carpet. Naruto leaned forward. "Thanks for breakfast, you fucking _asshole_," he hissed.

Sasuke had frozen. The shock and anger on his face didn't blend well.

Naruto walked to the door in a vacuum of silence. His every step was a rush of noise in his ears, louder than his breathing.

They'd only known each other for two weeks. And somehow this thought was like a betrayal, and he couldn't quite remember why. Naruto put one hand on the door. A part of him waited. His ears told him nothing: Sasuke wasn't moving, wasn't about to rush and tackle Naruto like he had that night--

Naruto opened the door. When he shut it, the heavy sound reverberated against his palm, rushing out into the hall.

And that was it. That was all it took. Naruto turned his back on the door. Gradually, his hands stopped trembling. His breathing slowed. Red lifted from his sight.

He went home. His left hand burned.


	8. Chapter Eight: New Game

**Crown & Anchor  
**by Nilladriel

_This chapter was written with brownies in mind._

_(Don't worry, the above sentence will make sense when you hit the end scene.)_

_This chapter is __**unbetaed**__, because everyone's busy with their own lives right now (including me, honestly). If you spot any mistakes, feel free to tell me._

**Chapter Eight: New Game**

"What the fuck," Kiba said, "are you wearing."

For once, he wasn't drunk, which he normally was when he hung around Naruto. He said it helped.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "It's a costume," he said.

"What are you, ten?" Kiba asked, incredulous. "You look like a mummy."

Naruto flipped him the bird. "What?" he said. "It's a Halloween dance, so of course I'm gonna dress up."

"It's a dance for the _kids,_" Kiba stressed. "You know. The ones who _aren't adults_?"

Naruto tugged on one of the scarves and ignored him. "I've always wanted to be a ninja," he admitted to Kiba, eyes wide and voice quiet. "I'd dream about it all the time when I was a kid. I'd be the greatest, strongest ninja ever!" He waved an arm, nearly blinding Kiba with his cardboard sword. "And then my Dad was all, _Naruto, ninjas don't exist, please stop climbing the roof_."

Kiba stepped out of range of Naruto's sword. He gave the blond man an odd look.

"What?" Naruto huffed.

"Nothing," Kiba said. "I mean, you've never mentioned your--anyway," he added hastily, "you look nothing like a ninja."

"I do too. I'm covered in black and everything."

"How many black scarves did you buy?" Kiba returned. He looked up, down, up again, and then his eyes widened. "Holy shit, did you borrow one of Lee's jumpsuits? You _loser_--"

Naruto tackled him to the floor. When Hinata stepped into the bedroom, saying, "I'm done," Naruto had pinned Kiba and was trying to viciously tickle him into surrender with the sword.

Hinata said, "Oh," in a small voice, and blushed.

Naruto looked down. Kiba, red-faced, roared, "GET OFF ME," or tried to, except he couldn't stop laughing. Naruto took pity on him and rolled off. He gave Hinata a grin full of victory. "Hey, Hinata! You done?"

Kiba wheezed and clutched his stomach. Hinata looked torn between concern and embarrassed giggling. She chose to answer Naruto. "Yes," she said. "It should be thick enough, now...."

"Yes! Blood!" Naruto cheered, and trailed after Hinata. "Hey, how come you're not wearing a costume? You're supervising too, aren't you?"

"W-well, I... didn't know we could," Hinata said.

"Aw," Naruto said. "You'd look great in costume." They reached the kitchen table. "Oh, wow. That looks great, Hinata."

Hinata smiled. The fake blood sat in a chipped plastic container she'd found in Naruto's cupboards. It was the perfect color: Just dark enough to give a vague nod towards realism while still managing to be completely cheesy and tacky. Hinata dipped her fingers in it and began to apply a liberal amount to Naruto's black costume.

"What? Are you a dead ninja, now?"

Kiba had recovered. He was staying away from Naruto, or at least as much as one could in such a cramped kitchen, and was eyeing the sword the way one might glare at an enemy.

"Well, I couldn't decide if I wanted to be a ninja or a zombie," Naruto said. "So I'm going to be a ninja-zombie! A fresh one."

Kiba looked astounded at Naruto's stupidity, as if he'd never noticed it before.

"That's very creative," Hinata said.

"Right," Kiba said. "Creative. Naruto, how old are you?"

"Shut up," Naruto said, rolling his eyes. "You sure you don't want to whip up a costume, Hinata?"

"It's fine," Hinata said. "We should leave soon. It's nearly six thirty."

"You sure you don't want to come?" Naruto asked Kiba. He twirled his sword with probably too much skill, and Kiba eyed him warily.

"And watch kids dry-hump each other to bad music?" Kiba asked. "Hell no."

"... Yeah," Naruto said, thoughtfully, and made a face. "You know, Hinata, if we dick around and make you a costume, we can get there late."

He beamed.

Hinata had no choice but to to agree--not when she was faced with that brilliant smile.

* * *

It was nine.

Naruto was at the far back of the cafeteria. With all the tables gone, the sea of students, and the lights dimmed, it was artificially narrow--a long tunnel rushing towards an epicenter of loud music and crowded bodies. On the other end was the relatively quiet sanctuary, where Naruto stood guard over a table full of soda, food, and punch. The pizza was already all gone, because they'd skipped dinner to throw together Hinata's costume and, well, it was Iruka's fault anyway for trusting Naruto with the food.

It was kind of cute, really, watching middle-schoolers play at being adults. Some rapper was yelling about windows, walls, and balls, and Naruto winced. He wondered who had filtered the playlist this time.

He shifted. Someone--Kin, he thought, or one of Moegi's sisters--had ran off with his sword. He was bored. Hinata was off playing therapist, because middle-school dances were cesspools of drama and self-absorbed little brats. Iruka was guarding the main doors like a gargoyle. No one was allowed in or out until the dance was over. He'd been there for a while, because Hinata was too nice and Naruto was too easy-going.

Without turning around, Naruto said, "Oi, Konohamaru, if you're going to spike the drinks, at least be less obvious about it."

Konohamaru froze. He seemed to be a pirate, except that he had goggles on. So maybe he was a confused swimmer who happened to be wearing beads and a floppy shirt.

Lacking a sword, Naruto had to threaten him with a plastic cup half-filled with punch. "Seriously. If you want to get drunk, get it done outside of school."

Konohamaru turned to glare. The beads didn't help. "You can't order me around!" he said.

Naruto's jaw dropped. "I'm a teacher," he said. "You're a student. Just _give_ me that, Konohamaru. I'm serious. I'm letting you off easy by not reporting your sorry butt right now."

Konohamaru's glare turned sulky. "Why are you so pissy lately?" he said.

"... The hell? Making sure kids don't break the rules is pissy, now?" Naruto muttered. He stepped forward and grabbed the small bottle from Konohamaru's unresisting hand. "Go on. Go and... dance, hang with your friends, whatever," he said.

He looked at the little bottle, saw the clear, viscous liquid inside, and felt his lips tighten. Well, shit. "Was I this bad as a kid?" he asked, but Konohamaru had already disappeared into the crowd. Naruto shrugged--oh, well, what can you do--and tucked the bottle into the folds of his costume. He leaned against the wall, trying not to feel like some sort of angsty, brooding hero.

Across the cafeteria, the math teacher was waving at him. Naruto waved back. The dance didn't end too late, but he'd have to stay and help clean up after, probably. By eating all the left-over food.

He made a net with his fingers to cradle his head in. There was a sudden, volumous half-silence as a slow song began playing. Students filtered off the dance floor, occupying the sidelines as the center became filled with young couples.

Naruto watched for a while, and felt depressed. He couldn't believe so many middle-school kids had more success in their love-lives than he did.

The math teacher was still waving at him. Naruto waved back, again. It might be some weird signal for Naruto to get his ass over there--maybe something was happening--but Naruto felt his place in life was here, near the food. And if he stood and frowned for a bit longer, maybe he'd eventually get as good as Neji or Gaara at brooding.

Not that Naruto had any reason to be brooding. He thought, briefly, of dark eyes, and then scowled. Right. No reason to be brooding at all, besides the fact that his life very suddenly resembled some TV drama.

When the loud, hysteric **"FUCK YOU!" **rang through the cafeteria, Naruto dropped his cup. The drink spilled on his thigh and mixed with the fake blood.

There should have been quiet to suitably stress the dramatic moment. Instead, they got Caleb Kane going mad, which was probably close enough. Naruto said, "Huh," and watched as people rushed to the front. Another _**"FUCK!" **_echoed, louder than the first.

"Yeah, okay," Naruto agreed. He _moved. _The windows blurred past, and he cleared the barrier seperating the different levels of the cafeteria. He pushed through the students, and stepped in just in time to interrupt a swinging fist with his hip.

At least they were just kids, Naruto thought, so the bruise won't be too bad, right? And then he reached down and easily shoved the boys' shoulders apart.

"Right, no, _stop_," Naruto said, and then registered their faces.

You're shitting me, he thought but did not say, and stared hard at Konohmaru's small, round eyes. Udon and Moegi emerged from the crowd. They eached grabbed an arm. Naruto gave them a grateful look, and then focused his attention on Konohamaru's opponent, who was still struggling. Naruto tightened his grip.

"Just stop it, Zaku," he said.

He was a year younger than Konohamaru and his friends, but a good deal bigger. Not a student Naruto knew well, though he vaguely recalled a particularly well-done project, back when they'd done those giant, paper-mache islands.

He'd participated in a lot of fights, but it was the first time he'd been the one to break them up. He wondered if _this _was what his teachers had felt, the exasperation and resignation sitting heavily in his stomach, a sort of annoyed _What is it this time? _feeling dominating.

He struggled to remember what happened after--a lot of talking, a lot of vague threatening, except the old man had been rich enough to keep him out of actual trouble. Hm.

"Right," Naruto said. "Uh--come on. Let's go."

He looked around, at the sea of little faces, and heaved a sigh. "Show's over, folks... look, the music's still playing, right?" He grinned at them, and then felt a weighty frown settle on his face face as he led Zaku and Konohamaru away, shooing off hopeful tagalongs.

Judging by how fast people moved away, his expression probably resembled Sasuke's.

The sudden thought didn't help to improve his mood at all.

He waved away the math teacher, who had the vague, lost expression of someone who wants to help but isn't exactly sure how. Naruto felt the same, even if he wasn't exactly showing it, but he made a sure line for one person who'd definitely, definitely know what to do.

"Oi, Iruka! I've got a present for you!"

On either side of him, the boys stiffened. They looked like doomed rabbits. Naruto tried to feel sorry for them, and failed.

Iruka straightened. He'd started off the night as a vampire in a blanket masquerading as a cape, but somewhere along the way he'd lost the fake teeth and the blanket was missing. Currently he was a pissed-off teacher in a rumpled suit, and Naruto cheerfully shoved Zaku and Konohamaru forward.

"They were fighting," he said. "I don't know who started it, or what happened. I just pulled these guys off each other."

Iruka, who had been glaring at the two boys, switched his glare to Naruto.

Naruto shrugged. Unfortunately, having grown up a trouble-maker, his trying-for-innocent shrugs were the exact kind that made Iruka's eyes narrow.

Iruka took a deep breath.

Naruto said, in a sufficiently brisk, professional tone: "It looks like you have the situation under control."

Then he fled.

He wandered down the hallway with vague intentions of going back to supervising. When Hinata's quiet, "What happened?" sounded to his left, Naruto whipped his head hard and winced, rubbing at his neck.

The lackadaisical costume they'd finally scrounged for her consisted of a dress, wings constructed from wispy fabric and, bizarrely, army bitch-boots. Maybe she was a rebellious fairy.

Noticing his gaze, Hinata flushed, tugging at the dress. It wasn't entirely indecent, but Hinata had the sort of figure that made any piece of clothing halfway scandalous. Naruto grinned. "Don't worry," he said. "You fill it way better than Sakura did."

Hinata looked up. "S-Sakura?" she asked.

He grinned. "Anyway, it was just a fight. No big deal. Um. I don't _think_ it was a big deal, but it's weird, you know? When you're the teacher...."

He trailed off.

Hinata said, "It's natural to worry."

Naruto said, "Yeah," and fell silent. They stopped at the threshold. One step more and they entered a world of music and bad lighting; one step back and they were closer to the exit.

Too bad Iruka was in that direction. From here, Naruto could hear the faint echoes of Iruka's voice. It wasn't harsh; Iruka couldn't _do_ harsh if it killed him, but he managed _disappointed_ and _loud_ in a way that killed everyone else with guilt.

Something was up with Konohamaru.

The thought wasn't sudden. It just surfaced, quietly and truthful, and Naruto nodded along to himself, ignoring Hinata's brief, questioning look.

He was going to do something. This was another thought, just as truthful. Naruto didn't bother nodding to it. It was too obvious. When someone he was close to was hurt, he helped. And maybe Konohamaru wasn't close like Sakura was, or his other friends, but....

In a weird way, he and Konohamaru were almost family, since Sarutobi had, if not directly presided over, then at least paid for, Naruto's upbringing. The old man was a distant figure, a leader who made suits look dusty just by wearing them, who had his worries scarred into the wrinkles of his face. And Konohamaru was the old man's grandson.

It wasn't much of a connection.

It was enough of a connection. And like Naruto had ever needed much of a reason to butt into people's lives, anyway.

Hinata looked left. Naruto followed her gaze to find Moegi and Udon, the two of them hunched together. Udon looked contrite; Moegi was yelling, her voice almost as loud as the bass. Hinata kept looking, and Naruto understood.

The rest of the students were back to dancing, like nothing had happened. The DJ was back to rap, and Naruto said to Hinata, "Good idea, I'll go talk to them. Guard the drinks, would you?"

Hinata nodded, graceful, as if she were a woman in a power-suit instead of a shimmery, golden dress.

They--or at least Moegi--fell quiet when he approached. Udon hunched his shoulders so severely they almost described a _v_. Moegi just looked at Naruto. She was a mermaid, the shimmering skirt of what was probably a ridiculously expensive costume fanning out in blues and greens.

Moegi said, "It was Zaku's fault."

"Uh, I don't care," Naruto said. "What's bothering Konohamaru?"

The two of them looked at each other.

"Look," Naruto said. "Konohamaru's not a model student, but he's not the sort of smuggle in alcohol or start fights. Something's going on."

Naruto looked at their expressions, wary and hopeful all mixed in together, and realized this was about as likely to work as Monday mornings were to be good. Besides, this was their Hallowe'en dance, and he didn't want to ruin it by worrying them. Well, ruin it more than it was.

So he straightened and said, "You know, I'm going to visit the old man... to visit _Sarutobi_ this break. Tell Konohamaru that, would you?" And then, before they could answer: "Do either of you know where my sword is?"

They did. Naruto told them thank you, but not for the sword.

* * *

After the dance, Kiba dropped him off near eleven. Naruto turned down his offer to go for drinks. "I'm sleeping," he said, and affected a yawn. It turned real, and his jaw cracked. He winced.

Hinata gave him a suspicious look, and then blushed and looked away when he returned it. "Okay," she said.

Kiba accepted his excuse with a shrug and a "See you later then." Naruto shut the car door, made a face at him, and headed home. His feet dragged. Maybe he shouldn't have eaten the _entire_ pack of biscuits. Or all the left-over pig-in-a-blankets. Or drank all that soda.

But. Well. Naruto was, if nothing else, loyal to his stomach.

His apartment was dark, and quiet. Naruto tugged off his costume as he went, leaving trails of black behind him. He remembered the bowl of fake blood still on his table, and figured he'd just clean it later. His face felt weird from the make-up--thick and oily, like he was a teenager again and battling acne. He rubbed at his eyes with a knuckle, probably smearing the fake-bruises.

He threw Konohamaru's bottle into the trash can, wishing he could get rid of the brat's damn issues as easily. Next it was the shower, where his jagged, zombified reflection made tired faces at him. He grabbed a cloth, squirted it with hand-soap, and scrubbed until it was Uzumaki Naruto staring back, not some cheesy zombie-ninja.

He made yet another mental note to just buy a new, proper mirror already, and then forgot it by the time he was turning the shower on.

He took a long time in the shower.

By the time he got out, it was half past eleven, and his body was suspended in that state between satiated exhaustion and stubborn alertness. He battled with the toothpaste tube until it resignedly yielded a bare amount of blue, mint-fresh goodness, made a mental note to buy more toothpaste, and forgot that, too, by the time he rinsed out his mouth.

On the way to bed, he tripped over the pile of photo albums by the bedside table.

It was a good excuse not to sleep just yet. He collapsed on the bean bag Gaara had given him, pulled the nearest album onto his lap, and flipped it open. He ignored the throbbing of his toes.

The corners of the album were already exhibiting signs of abuse; they were worn and soft. The rest of the album still looked new, though, the photos sealed in clear plastic. The inside slip read **TO:** _Uzumaki Naruto_.

Just below that, there was a **FROM:** accompanied by empty space. Sarutobi hadn't signed his name, and Naruto wasn't inclined to do it for him.

This one was his favorite, because it was all pictures of his Dad.

Naruto wasn't blind. A lot of the photos were altered--faces cut off, people left out. The old man was still pretending he was some brat that needed protecting, and he knew he was being presented with a carefully censored Namikaze Minato, all the bad parts edited out. Still.

That wouldn't matter soon, thanks to Neji.

Naruto settled back and looked carefully through the pages, taking his time with each image.

A grainy picture of a young Dad, back when he wasn't Dad and was still just boy-Minato, dressed in those ridiculously short shorts that had passed as uniform, his hair slicked back. Or older, playing basketball, his hair shocking bright against the dark-headed boys around him. And an easy favorite--Dad and the old man, looking shocked that the camera had caught them, his Dad holding a blond baby clumsily and looking embarrassed--_what do I do with this, why am I holding it, why are you taking that picture?  
_  
Naruto suspected the blond baby was him, but hoped it wasn't. He was so... pink. Maybe it was a baby thing, but. Well. It was like that time he'd assigned portraits, and Moegi had done hers in red and pink and orange and then cried afterwards because Konohamaru said it looked terrible.

His Dad dressed in suits often, Naruto noted. He didn't remember that. He looked good in them, though. Naruto never had. He could reduce Gucci to something off the department store rack, just by wearing it. It was a talent.

Naruto looked down at the photos and felt ridiculously, sappily sentimental. Any moment now cheesy music would start playing: soft piano accompanied by low, mournful violin, and then the commercial break would start. It would probably feature a happy family smiling around a dinner table. Naruto snorted.

He leaned back in the bean bag, shifting around until it obligingly supported his neck. The photo album was a comfortable weight on his lap.

Winter break was coming. Next month would be full of frantic grading, and long nights spent writing comments about students on endless streams of report cards, and he could _finally_ assign that long-term project he'd been wanting to do since last year, and then--

Freedom.

Visiting Sarutobi might mean the opposite, though.

Not that the old man had any power over him. Not really. Except that Naruto had always lived his life, with his little rebellions, with the vague feeling that these were all concessions. Little annoyances that Sarutobi allowed, as long as...

As long as. Something.

Then there was--what was it that bastard Sasuke had said? That thing about getting Naruto away from his friends. But, well, he'd hung out with Sakura since that--since _that_, and her super-senses hadn't picked out any more creepy men following them around. He'd asked her plenty, until she got annoyed. And it wasn't like he had told anyone specifically where he was going, besides Konohamaru.

And _why_ was he so paranoid, anyway?

Naruto closed the photo album. What he needed was a good night's sleep. Everything would look better tomorrow, especially if he had ramen for breakfast.

* * *

Konohamaru called the next day, when Naruto was at Neji's house.

Naruto spent the first few seconds gaping, his hand frozen mid-air. His forkful of pasta wavered, and he said, "_Konohamaru_?"

Across the table, Neji gave Naruto a bland look. Then he got up and left the room, taking his tea with him. Naruto tried not to feel like he'd just kicked Neji out of his own kitchen, since technically it was Neji who had kicked himself out of his own kitchen.

"Konohamaru? Seriously? How in the--how'd you get my number?" Naruto asked, suspicious. He put his fork down.

"I asked. And who else would it be?" Konohamaru grumbled, and yeah, even through the phone the bratty tone was the same. Naruto relaxed.

"So, uh, what's up?" Naruto said, aiming for _casual_ and landing somewhere around _adult who's trying way too hard_.

"Whatever," Konohamaru said. "Apparently I'm suspended, by the way."

"Well, you _were_ fighting," Naruto said. That was the usual punishment, he vaguely remembered. Student handbooks were parceled together with the agendas the school gave to all students, and Naruto had read it in its entirety because he was friends with Iruka, and Iruka was scary.

He helped himself to the last of the chicken while he waited for Konohamaru to speak, which happened to be on Neji's plate. It wasn't like the other man would mind. Well, too much.

"I just--I think something's... I want to know if Granddad is okay," Konohamaru said. "I think something's up. Um. Something big."

"I'll ask him when I see him," Naruto promised. "And if he won't tell me, I'll find out anyway."

"Okay. Um. Thanks," Konohamaru said, and didn't hang up.

Instead, a damn broke. "Every time he calls, he asks if I'm okay, or if I'm safe. He makes me check in with my bodyguards, like, every hour. One of them even sleeps in my room now! And before he didn't even call that often but now he's calling every day and it's _weird_ and I just want him back to normal. And I want to _be_ normal. I had to sneak out to get to that party yesterday--"

Which explained the bad costume.

"--and when Iruka tol' me and Zaku to go home _my bodyguards were waiting outside_. And--once, I wasn't sure, I heard my parents saying that something was going wrong so maybe it's the company. Or something," Konohamaru added with the uncertain tone of someone who should know the work of their parents, but can't be bothered to care and now suddenly should.

Very quietly, Konohamaru added, "And he keeps asking about you, too. Well. He asks about you a lot. But. More than usual."

Which explained Konohamaru's general pissy attitude towards him. Huh.

Naruto carefully transferred all the sauce on Neji's plate onto his. "I'll find out for you," he said. "That's a promise."

Predictably, Konohamaru didn't say _thank you_. Naruto chewed away the silence and a forkful of pasta.

"I won't get into any more fights," Konohamaru said suddenly. "Or do anything stupid."

"Okay," Naruto agreed. "That's good. You're still cleaning up on Monday, but I'll make you guys hot chocolate."

Konohamaru laughed, maybe because he thought Naruto was joking, and hung up. Naruto snapped his phone shut and told the door, "You can come in now."

Neji walked in. His tea-cup was empty, and he had the serene expression of someone who has just been eavesdropping and feels absolutely no guilt. Then he saw his plate, and his eyes narrowed.

Naruto said, "You're a really good cook," and attacked his meal.

Neji answered, very politely, "Thank you. I'm not buying you ramen for the rest of the month."

* * *

After dinner, the two men went to the living-room. Both sat on the floor rather than the couch, because the floor was more comfortable.

Neji opened the folder he had taken with him and spread the contents on the floor. He'd bound his hair back in a messy pony-tail, but now random strands were slipping free, running across his face and trailing across his shoulders. Naruto surprised himself by not noticing, just thinking vaguely of twelve days ago, and then told himself he wasn't keeping track of how much time had gone by since--_that_.

"This is information on your father's childhood," Neji was saying, indicating the first pile. "His school records, any certificates he attained, any awards, and some articles he wrote."

Naruto picked up a paper. GYM INSTALLS NEW BASKETBALL HOOPS, he read, and underneath: BY NAMIKAZE MINATO.

"What a cool Dad," he said.

Neji ignored him. "I couldn't find much information on his life after he received his university degree," he said. "Either your father didn't want anyone to know about his life... or someone else didn't."

"What do _you_ think?" Naruto asked. He was reading through the article and discovering that his Dad was sadly incapable of making basketball hoops interesting. He put it down, mentally apologizing to his dead relative, and picked up a different piece of paper, which told him his Dad had been a straight-A student. Maybe Naruto had inherited his brains from his mother, whoever she was.

His mother. Sometimes it hit Naruto that, as well as a blue-eyed Dad hazy in his memories, he also had a mother. This hit felt like a full-body blow. Naruto stared without seeing at the A- Namikaze Minato had once upon a time earned for Calculus.

"I'm not sure. I ran into a lot of falsified information and dead-ends. _Someone_ must have been covering up."

"Did he marry my Mom?" Naruto asked absently.

Neji started. "No. If he did, I couldn't find any records or certificates. But...."

He thumbed through the folder and retrieved a single sheet of paper, which he showed Naruto.

It was a clip from a newspaper article. The article itself was about a concert. So was the picture, really, which was old as well. The lighting was horrible.

And then Naruto's gaze was drawn to the corner, where he saw familiar, messy hair. The head was turned towards a girl, or a woman, Naruto couldn't tell. Naruto stared at her black-and-white smile until his vision blurred.

Next to him, Neji shifted, perhaps a little uncomfortable.

"How'd you find this?" Naruto asked. His voice didn't break, but it was a near thing.

"I had my people comb through likely newspaper archives," Neji said carefully. "This was the closest piece of relevance."

"Oh," Naruto said. "Um. Thank you."

After a while, Neji said, "Naruto. My team has found everything from your father's dental habits to his college debts, but--"

"I know. I know," Naruto said. His smile, when he looked at Neji, was grateful and slightly sad. "I'm visiting old man Sarutobi, you know. I figure he owes me some answers. But... this is good, too, you know."

Neji's lips twitched into a smile. "I see."

"Okay. So, um, what else did you find?"

"If you remember, on the phone, I mentioned that Namikaze Minato... that your father was the protege of three underground leaders. I have their names, and I gathered what public information there is on them... but nothing more. Anything else might be risky."

"Sounds like it," Naruto muttered, impressed. "So who are they?"

Neji withdrew a photograph, bright and glossy and colorful.

"The legendary three," he said. "Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru."

And Naruto said, "_What._ Jiraiya's a famous writer! Of _eroti_--"

He registered the last name Neji had uttered. Naruto jerked his head. "Orochimaru. _Orochimaru_. You're _kidding_ me. That bastard sent men to follow me!"

Neji put the photograph down and pressed his knuckles against his temple. "Naruto," he said, slowly.

"And Tsunade has huge knockers! Was she really a crimi--"

"_Naruto_."

"Huh? Um, what?" Naruto said.

"Kindly inform me that I'm hallucinating," Neji said, "and that you _did not just tell me Orochimaru had men following you_." He stood forcefully.

"Uh," Naruto said. "Where are you going?"

"_To get tea!_ Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Neji snapped, and then stalked off, apparently too incensed to hear the answer to his own question. Naruto watched him go, and shrugged.

"What's _his_ deal?" he asked the photograph. Tsunade's breasts, while remarkably tantalizing, didn't offer up any explanations no matter how much he stared. Naruto said, "Whatever," and sat back, going through his Dad's early school records.

While Neji took his frustration out on tea, Naruto discovered that his Dad looked constipated in every single one of his yearbook photos; that he'd only gotten two B's and one C in his entire life, all in middle-school; that he chose the most unremarkable subjects ever for his school newspaper articles; and that he looked completely idiotic in the team uniforms of old--but then, everyone did, with shorts that tiny. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"You didn't have to do this, you know," he said, when he heard the door open again. When he tilted his head, he saw Neji standing near the door, a tray balanced on an open palm.

Neji's expression changed from residual anger to thoughtfulness. "We're friends," he said.

"Yeah, but.... When I asked if you could find out more about my Dad, I wasn't expecting this much. I mean." Naruto picked up a slim packet of papers, held together by a paper-clip. "You seriously weren't lying when you said you had his dental records."

"Why would I lie about that?" Neji asked, honestly confused. He set the tray down.

Naruto sighed, and reminded himself that this was Neji, who didn't understand the concept of _too much information_ and had routinely spent his academic career trimming novella-length monstrosities into really, really long essays. "Just. Thanks. For going this far."

Neji poured the tea. Naruto took his cup and sat on the arm of the couch, looking out the window to the garden.

"When we first met," Neji said, "I punched you."

"Huh?" Naruto said. "Oh, yeah. That fight was my win, for the record."

"Why did you talk to me, all those years afterwards?" Neji pressed.

"Because that's what friends do," Naruto said.

"And, when my uncle...." Neji trailed off. "And Gaara. You helped Gaara."

"Yes? Of course?" Naruto said, confused.

"You see," Neji said, serenely.

Naruto looked down, at the papers scattered on the floor: each a little piece of the puzzle that was his father.

"Oh," he said, dumbly.

Neji shifted, suddenly remembering he was angry. "Friends," Neji said, tone acidic, "also tell each other when they've been _followed_."

"They do?" Naruto asked, and winced, thinking of Sakura. "Oh. Um. Yeah. Sorry about that. It wasn't that big a deal. I beat one of them up and they went away, I think."

"Only you would say that," Neji said, mysteriously calm.

"Well, it _wasn't_," Naruto insisted.

His eyes fell on the photograph--of the legendary three, or whatever. Maybe it was just because they were upside-down and slanted from his perch, but aside from Tsunade's chest, they didn't look particularly impressive--or _legendary_, or whatever. Jiraiya's suit was too big and Orochimaru looked vaguely sick, his pinched expression suggesting a permanent hangover.

And then Naruto said, "Wait. Neji. _Neji_. Aren't these three supposed to be _dead_!?"

"I was wondering when you would remember that," Neji said.

* * *

The papers had been put away, the folder inserted into a plastic slip Naruto could later take home. They were back in the kitchen, where Naruto was mixing together brownies from scratch in a vague apology for stealing bits of Neji's dinner. Naruto figured he'd take the leftovers to Sakura later and gloat, and then probably get punched for his generosity.

"I don't have much to tell you," Neji said, watching bemusedly as Naruto measured out another cup of baking chocolate. "I attempted, of obviously--"

"Obviously," Naruto muttered.

"--to gather as much information as I could, but apparently my uncle caught wind of my activities and instructed me to stop."

Naruto dumped the chocolate into a bowl. "That serious, huh?"

"It was a prudent suggestion. I wasn't exactly being discreet."

"So did you listen to him?" Naruto asked knowingly, reaching for a cooking pot.

"No," Neji said, and smirked. "I simply found--alternate methods to pursue my inquiries. Unfortunately, I didn't get many answers."

"Because you were sneaking around?"

"Because there weren't many to find." Neji fell silent as Naruto stirred the mixture, waiting for it to melt in the pot. The smell permeating the room was heavenly.

"You're making a lot."

"Sakura really likes my brownies," Naruto answered, absent-minded. Neji smirked.

"This is what I know: Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru built a reputation founded on a fair mix illegal interprises... though they never had much luck with gambling, for some obscure reason." Neji shrugged. "They were the legendary three. I don't know when or how your father gained enough power to be considered their most prized student--"

"Underling," Naruto interrupted again. Neji made a dry, humored sound.

"Yes."

"So how'd they--um--_not_ die?"

"The Uchiha worked with the government to target the legendary three. Don't ask me why. They played business partners and supplied information, enough for the government to take action. But one of the raids went wrong."

"Wave, right? The raid was in Wave."

Naruto hadn't spoken the name of that city in so long. Sarutobi still lived there, didn't he? And that was where the old house was, sequestered from everywhere else with only that lonely road leading in and out.

"How did you...?"

"Lucky guess. Give me that pan," Naruto said, pointing.

Neji did. "Naruto...."

"It's kind of interesting, in a really fucked-up way," Naruto said, talking easily over him. "So? The raid."

"I don't know." Neji hesitated. "Your father died. The legendary three disappeared, apparently for long enough that they were taken for dead."

"And no one figured it out? Even when Jiraiya showed up and made a big splash writing about heaving bosoms and slick rosebuds?" Naruto asked.

Neji made an undignified sound, a snort caught before it could escape. "It's strange," he said, very seriously, "but people never made the connection between Jiraiya the former crime lord and Jiraiya the author of erotica. Furthermore, it could just be coincidence--there's no guarantee they're the same person."

"And, I mean, _Orochimaru_," Naruto went on, ignoring him.

"Actually," Neji admitted, "I thought _he_ was dead as well, until you suddenly told me Orochimaru had men following you."

"... Oh. Um." Naruto knelt to open Neji's oven.

"Yes. _Oh._"

"I never would have guessed it. You're taking it well," Naruto observed, putting the pan in the middle of the oven. He closed it.

"As long as I think of it as an absurd twist to one of Lee's horrible action movies," Neji said, "I'm fine."

"You, too, huh. Only I keep imagining TV dramas. Okay, let's give the brownies twenty minutes. I'm going to call Sakura and give her a heads-up. She doesn't like it when I randomly drop by, it's really weird."

Neji nodded, and then visibily hesitated. "Naruto," he said.

"Yeah?" Naruto said, hitting speed-dial one and waiting for his best friend to pick up.

"For you, this has the very real potential of threatening your current lifestyle. Be careful."

"Because I happen to be the son of a former... whatever Dad was?" Naruto said, frowning.

"No," Neji said, but before he could elaborate, Sakura answered the phone, and Naruto turned away to focus on the conversation. Neji didn't bring the subject up again.


	9. Chapter Nine: Bet Exchange

**Crown & Anchor  
**by Nilladriel

_Sorry for the wait! But stuff interfered. Like graduation. (That's right! I'm free of high school now.) Hopefully this chapter satisfies. I feel really rusty, though my dear beta says I'm not, haha._

**Chapter Nine: Bet Exchange  
**  
Naruto departed for Wave on December 17. It meant an entire day of driving in icy conditions, with frequent paranoid glances at his heater. The car had been making noises at him all month and he kept having visions of it dying, leaving him stranded and fair prey to ghosts or monsters, or at least extreme cold and boredom.

He explained this in a very detailed text to Kiba at one of the rest stations; Kiba told him to lay off the bad movies, already.

When he finally arrived, it was night, and his stomach was telling him the dried squid and chips he'd eaten weren't adequate as dinner. Unfortunately, Naruto didn't have any concrete memories of the city he'd technically grown up in. This meant nearly an hour of driving fruitlessly around in the dead of night while the maps he consulted promised he'd hit a hotel soon, just turn left and then right and keep going straight and, no, shit, he'd missed a turn, maybe if he went down that way instead--

He was about to give up when his car rounded a bend and he realized, with a start, that he recognized the road.

Naruto stopped the car.

The view was different, of course, because he wasn't looking down at it from a two-story window. Despite the different angle, though, he recognized it all the same. To the right was a long stretch of green, sinking down into a stream that curled around a tree.

Opposite it was the familiar mansion, with its square architecture and stocky walls.

Maybe he remembered the city better than he thought.

Naruto studied Sarutobi's house with shadowed, heavy-lidded eyes. Then he backed out of the street. He'd rather stay at a hotel.

Now that he'd finally placed himself, it was easier to backtrack. There was the park he normally went to during holidays; the line of shops jutting out from the village, where he'd watched school children buy candy after school and never quite worked up the courage to join them.

There, at the corner, was the world's cheapest hotel, starting at the very reasonable price of just twenty per night, breekfast included!!!

Naruto eyed the three red exclamation marks with trepidation. "No thanks," he said. "And you misspelled breakfast."

Three blocks away, and five seconds from giving in and staying at the world's cheapest hotel, he found the Red Prawn, which was fronted by a peeling sign and a fountain with gray-green coins at the bottom instead of water. In the lobby, a tacky red carpet ran all the way to the front desk, maybe so visitors could pretend they were celebrities.

Above the front desk hung a gigantic, plastic prawn.

It was probably the prawn that convinced him. Naruto leaned over the counter and found his best smile. "How much for a room?"

Thirty minutes later he was unpacking, or at least pawing through his bag looking for a change of clothes. Ideally, he'd have food before the shower, but the shower was closer. He slung a towel around his neck--Sakura's recent birthday gift--and turned, which was of course when the phone rang.

"Aw, _fuck_," Naruto sighed, and went to dig through the pants he'd left crumpled on the floor. He ended up having to reverse all the pockets; meanwhile, the phone rang, and rang, and rang. The ringtone wasn't one he'd assigned to his closest.

Naruto got to the phone just as the ringing stopped. He frowned and flipped it open, and then he said, "Shit," when he saw the name displayed.

Sasuke hadn't contacted him at all since their confrontation. Why start now?

Naruto hesitated. He was tired, hungry, and cranky. He pressed the green call button anyway and sat cross-legged on the floor.

Sasuke picked up immediately. "Naruto!"

He was louder than Naruto remembered. "Please tell me there's a good reason you called."

"Where are you?"

"... What?" Naruto said, intelligently. "Why do you care?"

"Just tell me," Sasuke said. Even through the phone, Naruto could hear Sasuke's worry, heavy like weights.

"Uh, no," Naruto said, but he didn't quite manage the brattish tone.

"_Naruto_," Sasuke snapped, and then: "are you really in Wave?"

"And you say you're not a stalker," Naruto said.

"_**Shit!**_"

Naruto moved the phone from his ear so he could stare at it properly. All it told him was that he was talking to U Sasuke, and that the conversation had lasted for twenty seconds.

He switched the phone to his left hand, so he could occupy his right with massaging the confusion away at his temples. "Right. Are you trying to be mysterious again? Remember how shittily that worked last time?"

"You need to come back," Sasuke said, plainly ignoring him.

Fine. Naruto could be stubborn, too. "No," he said.

"Naruto, you don't understand--"

"The last time I tried to understand, you ass, you basically slammed the door in my face," Naruto said. And then he hung up, because it felt good to have the last word.

* * *

"I'm staying in a hotel with a giant fucking plastic prawn hanging in reception. I cannot tell you how amazing this is," Naruto said. He was sprawled on the bed, like Akamaru after one of his baths and trying to get everything dog-fur wet. Above him, the fan creaked laboriously.

"It's eight," Sakura said, "in the morning. I'm hanging up."

"Huh? Then why'd you pick up?" Naruto asked.

"Because it's eight in the morning, and you called," Sakura said. The rest of her explanation was mangled by a yawn, although Naruto caught the words _emergency_ and _idiot_ just fine.

"Oh," Naruto said, and pouted.

"Really," Sakura said, in a tone that might have been called _fond_ if she were anyone other than Sakura. "Why are you calling so early?"

"Um," Naruto said. "Because I promised I'd call you every day? And I'm seeing Sarutobi later today."

"Weren't you two estranged?" Sakura yawned again. "You could have asked me to come along, silly."

He could have. Instead, he'd gone with her as she did last-minute shopping, picking out presents for her parents and then wrapping them for her in the floor of her living-room while she admired the way he mercilessly beat the ribbons into pleasing shapes. Afterwards he'd given her a ride to the airport and given her a hug.

"You having a good time with your parents?" he asked instead.

"Yes," Sakura said. "It's good to be back, you know?"

Naruto laughed. "Yeah. So what're you doing today?"

"Going back to sleep," Sakura said. "And then I'm going with Mom and Dad to the hospital, see how things are going there."

Her tone was so wistful. She'd wanted to be a doctor once, Naruto remembered.

"Anyway. Good luck with Sarutobi. Tell me how it goes after." Another yawn. "Good _night_, Naruto. Morning. Whatever."

"Hah. Thanks," Naruto said. "Bye."

He shut the phone and stared out the window. Even poets would have struggled to describe the day, which seemed determined to be as gloomy and desaturated as possible. Even the sunlight was gray.

He was already dressed, because he'd gotten up at four, itchy and feeling the need to run, or to jump in the car and drive... although to where, he wasn't sure. He'd already taken three showers and brushed his teeth seven times. He'd never felt so clean in his life, and his teeth hurt.

He hadn't eaten breakfast.

Reluctantly, he went outside and took the three stairs down to ground floor at as slow a pace as he could manage. Empty of luggage, his car felt bigger and less clogged up. Naruto didn't.

He got in, put on his seatbelt, and set his hands on the steering wheel. He didn't remember the drive.

In the daylight, Sarutobi's home didn't look as damn ugly. Naruto drove to the gate and rolled down the window of the car. He didn't recognize the woman in the guardhouse, but he recognized her expression. It was the eternally suspicious look of security officers everywhere.

"Hi," he said. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm here to visit the old man... to visit Sarutobi Hiruzen. I didn't call ahead and he doesn't know I'm coming or that I'm here. Before you ask."

He flashed a smile, which just made her glare harder. "Please wait," she said, and stepped back into the guardhouse, where he conveniently couldn't hear what she was saying as she contacted the main house.

There was a hidden camera just to the right, if Naruto remembered right. He amused himself with making faces at it while he waited.

The guard emerged eventually, looking even more suspicious, her hand twitching like it might go for her gun. Naruto tensed until she said, "Go ahead, Mr. Uzumaki," and the gate rolled open slowly, like it was as suspicious of him as the guard was.

Naruto took a deep breath. "Thanks," he said. He didn't actually go forward, not until the guard made an impatient sound. Remembering her gun, he drove. He watched the main house get closer, and swallowed. To the right and up, he recognized the window he'd jumped out of. The memory sat hotly in his stomach, and Naruto clenched his jaw as he parked in front of the entrance. It took him three tries to lock his car properly.

The door opened before he had a chance to knock, revealing a familiar messy-haired woman in a jacket, armed with both weapons and a slicing tongue.

Naruto tried a grin and mostly succeeded. "Anko! What a surprise! Still working here, huh?"

Anko was heavier than he remembered. It was all new muscle, though, packed on slowly throughout a decade. They were the same height, and she probably weighed less, but when she smiled and crossed her arms she became a better block for the door than a brick wall would have.

"Why the hell are you here, Naruto?" she said.

"To see the old man," Naruto said. It was possible to lie to Anko, but it was better not to.

"You said that," Anko said. "Why?"

"Because we haven't seen each other in forever?" Naruto said, like he was throwing darts at a board blind. "Because I have some stuff I want to ask him? Because I told Konohamaru I would?"

Anko licked her lips slowly. "Fuck! Fine. Come in." She shook her head.

Naruto nodded and stepped through. Anko closed the heavy doors shut behind him and slid the locks into place with more ceremony and drama than strictly needed.

"This way," Anko said.

"Wait, whoah, hold on," Naruto said. "Don't tell me the old man's free?"

Anko turned around and managed to look down at him, reducing Naruto to an intimidated twelve-year-old with a single glance. "No," she said. "But he's making time for you anyway. Now _move_."

Cowed, Naruto followed Anko through the mansion. It hadn't changed much. The numerous paintings, the very ones that had first invited Naruto to explore the world of art, were the same. Naruto smiled as he passed them by, resisting the urge to stop and touch like he'd done as a kid.

They didn't go to Sarutobi's study, which was good, because Naruto probably would have pissed his pants. Instead, Anko took him to the second drawing room. In theory, it was more informal.

Anko opened the door for him. "Good luck, kid," she said. She looked grim. Naruto remembered being twelve, and really not intimidated, just in a lot of pain, while Anko knelt in front of him and picked shards of glass out of his skin. She'd told him to be smarter about it next time he jumped out of windows.

"Thanks," he said.

Anko gave him a real smile, one that didn't remind Naruto of snakes. "Sure," she said, and left. Naruto listened to the thuds of her heavy boots against the wooden floor. Then he entered the room, closing the door behind him securely before looking up.

Talking to Sarutobi on the phone had been bad. Just seeing him in person was worse. Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets so he could pretend they weren't shaking and slowly approached.

The old man was sitting on the couch, having a smoke. He was dressed in white, except for the ridiculous red cravat at his neck, like he'd stepped right out of Naruto's too-crisp memories. He sat in his arm-chair the same way he sat in his study: as if it were a throne of power.

"Naruto," he said, warmly. "Welcome home."

"Hey," Naruto said. He crossed the room and sat down. "Uh. Sorry for dropping by without notice."

"You are always welcome here, Naruto," Sarutobi corrected him. He indicated the table between them. There was a tray, with a jug and two cups, but the tray lined Naruto's side of the table, not Sarutobi's. "Drink?"

Naruto caught himself shaking his head, and stopped. "Sure." He poured awkwardly, and was quiet as he watched the steam rise from the cup.

He said, "So," which was a good start, sort of like pressing down on the accelerator and not moving at all once the race began.

Sarutobi, decades older and a hell of a lot more experienced in small-talk, said, "How have you been?"

"Good. I mean... yeah, good," Naruto said. He took a sip. It was hot chocolate, sweet on his tongue. It wasn't Neji's tea, but it was good enough that Naruto downed the cup and then poured himself another. "Teaching is... nice."

Sarutobi smiled at him. It transformed his face into a grandfather's. "I'm glad."

"Did you know...." His voice cracked. Naruto cleared his throat and tried again. "Did you know your grandson's at the school I teach at?"

"Konohamaru?" Sarutobi looked proud just mentioning the brat's name. "Yes. It's a very reputable school."

"Yeah," Naruto said. I want to turn the art program there around, he thought hard at Sarutobi, like it might replace actual conversation. I'm new now but in a decade things will change. You'll see.

Naruto looked down at his cup. He wasn't relaxing, but he'd fooled himself enough that he had that he didn't think much of saying, "I bet you're wondering why I'm here, huh."

Sarutobi leaned back, frowning slightly but still somehow holding on to his smile. "Well, yes. But, Naruto," he said, "what's important is that you visited. It means a lot."

Naruto nodded, studying the old man's face. It was the same, from the deep-set wrinkles to the downturned nose, but more tired. "I wanted to ask about my Dad," he admitted, leaving Konohamaru's request for the moment. It was probably bad manners, barging into someone's home and then demanding to know what was wrong like an entitled therapist.

Naruto wasn't into politeness, but this was _Sarutobi_.

He watched the old man's expression change, from same-old to _different_. Guarded and angry, those thin shoulders stiffening under the suit, and Naruto felt himself tense as well. He took another sip of the hot chocolate and felt the heat rush down his throat.

"Look. I know you have reservations. But I have a right to know. He's my _Dad_," Naruto started, ready to fight.

"Did something happen?" the old man asked instead.

"What?" Naruto said.

"There must have been a catalyst," Sarutobi said, "to your recent phone calls and this sudden visit."

"Not really," Naruto said, and then wondered why he was being so defensive. "I'd always wondered. I just didn't think to ask until now."

"Naruto," Sarutobi said, and sighed.

Naruto felt his fingers twitch. His gaze fell on the old man's red cravat, and he winced, looking away. In the silence, which held the prickly, uncertain air of a PT conference, he took the time to study the drawing room. Like the rest of the mansion, it hadn't changed, either, except the years had transformed decadence into tacky style, like a dated magazine that was trying too hard. Too much floral pattern. Sakura would probably like it, though.

With nothing but hot chocolate in his stomach, he was beginning to feel strangely sleepy. It's probably the lack of sleep and food, he thought, and was startled when the old man suddenly snapped, "Naruto!"

He jumped to alertness, said, "Yeah?" and then faded back.

"Naruto," the old man started, and then said instead: "_Naruto._ Did you eat today?"

"Skipped breakfast," Naruto replied automatically. "And had a shit dinner last night." He shook his head. "I'm okay, really. I'm just tired. I didn't sleep much last night."

The old man looked alarmed, not appeased... until his face shifted, and he leaned forward, wisps of smoke escaping from between his lips. "I'll send for food shortly, then," he suggested. "Now, Naruto, I would like you to be more honest with me."

Naruto stared blankly, and felt himself drawing back.

While he was driving her to the airport, Sakura actually hadn't looked too enthused. When Naruto asked her why, she said it was because as much as she loved her parents, visiting them meant a break from being Haruno Sakura the independent, self-reliant woman. It meant being just little Sakura again, who'd cried when she didn't get perfect scores on her tests and mowed the lawn for extra money. "Like jumping into a time-travel machine," Sakura said. "They even keep my room the same. All my old posters of idols are still up, you know?"

Naruto had scarcely been back fifteen minutes and he already understood what Sakura meant. Once or twice, Sarutobi had had to visit the school personally to settle affairs; or Naruto would pull pranks during the holidays. Afterwards, he'd always sit Naruto down and give him _that_ look, one that radiated disappointment about as subtly as the afternoon sun.

Naruto stared hard at the expectant, faded eyebrows, the pipe in Sarutobi's mouth, and tried to think through his sudden exhaustion. "Honest about what?" he said, playing the exact same card Sasuke had, two months earlier: _What do I have to lie about?_

Sarutobi played better. "I want to know why you're really visiting me, Naruto," he said, not harshly.

Naruto reached for more hot chocolate. The old man began to say, "Naruto, you shouldn't," and then stopped, brows furrowed, which made no sense. It was just hot chocolate.

"It's no big deal," Naruto said, which was the right thing to say, and then: "It was just some guy," which wasn't. Especially since Sasuke _wasn't_ really "just some guy." He was... Sasuke, and confusing and frustrating and _stupid_, and... Sarutobi was saying something.

"Sorry, what was that?" Naruto asked.

Sarutobi sighed, looking vaguely concerned, and summarized his words into a simple, "Who was this 'guy,' Naruto?"

Naruto remained absolutely silent until the old man's expression, still eyebrows and all, really got to him. "He just said we knew each other." He had to concentrate on his own words, and he knew old man Sarutobi didn't like what he was hearing, especially when he straightened and folded his arms.

"Naruto. I want you to be honest." Sarutobi made sure Naruto was looking at him before he went on: "Please. Was this man Uchiha Sasuke?"

Naruto dropped his eyes and said, "Yes," and felt as if he shouldn't have.

Sarutobi's lips thinned, like he was trying to make his own mouth disappear. "I see."

Naruto felt like asking something stupid, like, _is that bad?_ but obviously it was. He slouched some more, letting the embroidered cushions swallow him.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

The old man looked startled. "It's not your fault. You wouldn't have known."

"Because you tell me jack shit," Naruto muttered. At the old man's disapproving look, he straightened, trying to assert himself, but his body wouldn't cooperate and the cushions were too comfy anyway. "Tell me," he said, and hated how it came out like a whine.

"You won't want to hear it," Sarutobi said.

"I do," Naruto said.

"Uchiha Sasuke is dangerous. His family...." Sarutobi trailed off. "Your father's unfortunate death--"

"That was," Naruto said, and then a shudder swept through him and something inside him said, _NO_, and he shut up.

"I'm sorry," Sarutobi said, as if that would ever make up for--

"Orochimaru," Naruto said, neatly interrupting his own thoughts.

Sarutobi looked even more alarmed at that. "What do you mean?"

Naruto hesitated. Something else he shouldn't have said. But Sarutobi looked concerned, and he was only an old man, really, and the hot chocolate had been good and he couldn't bring himself to feel too alarmed. "Sasuke was talking to him. On the phone. He... Orochimaru sent men to follow me. Only for one day," he added hastily.

Sarutobi didn't answer, not at first. He seemed to be deliberating and even poured some drink for himself, when he usually never consumed what he set out for Naruto, probably because he didn't like the taste.

"You should stay," Sarutobi said firmly.

Naruto blinked. "I have a hotel room."

The old man frowned. He put his arms on the chair, straightening slightly, and levelled Naruto with a somber look. "I'll be blunt. I'm concerned for your safety. The security here could protect you."

Yeah. Security here was good. Naruto'd gotten caught on camera every time he'd tried to escape, before.

"Something happened," he said, not to the old man but to his feet. "Something must've, to get you all paranoid like this."

"I can't explain to you right now," the old man said.

"Bullshit," Naruto said. He looked up and said again, "_Bullshit_." But the anger wasn't rising. It was there, coiled and heated, but it wasn't running through him. He was just sitting, on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate he couldn't bring himself to finish.

"And it would make me happy if you stayed," Sarutobi added. "Can't an old man have the people he loves close by?"

Naruto closed his eyes, and knew right away that he was caving. "Fine," he said. "I'm only staying for a while, anyway."

Sarutobi smiled, self-satisfied. "Thank you, Naruto," he said. His voice was self-satisfied too.

"I'm tired," Naruto whispered. When had his eyes closed?

"I know," the old man said. "You've had a lot to drink." He rose. Naruto heard careful, shuffling footsteps, and a low conversation. He recognized Anko's angry footsteps even through the sleepy haze.

"Oi. Come on, kiddo," someone said. It was Anko, grabbing his arm with all the care for a rag doll. "Get up. We're going to your room."

"Okay," Naruto said, obediently, and rose, almost dropping his cup in the process.


	10. Chapter Ten: Jump

**Crown & Anchor  
**by Nilladriel

_This chapter was the most difficult to write so far. Seriously. It would not even exist if it weren't for my friends. Thanks for putting up with my bitching and complaining, you guys. Thanks specifically to James, for throwing out crazy suggestions and making them possible; and to my Dad (even if he's never going to read this!) who didn't mind all the weird & bizarre questions I asked him. And thanks, as always, to my beta Miranda--ilu, bb!_

_While I'm on this weird thanking spree, I'd like to give hugs to all my readers. You guys are wonderful, and thank you for all the alerts, favorites, comments, and reviews. I don't deserve it, haha!_

**Chapter Ten: Jump  
**  
Naruto didn't exactly wake up, because he hadn't been sleeping; rather, he came into his anger slowly, his awareness shifting from blankness to heat.

For a long time, he didn't move. Above him, the fan spun. Unlike the one in the Red Prawn, this one was noiseless. The ceiling was white.

Naruto sat up and looked at his childhood bedroom. It was mostly unchanged, if too neat. The curtains were blue. The shelves were overfull with slightly yellowed books.

He went to the window, running his fingers down the side. It was firmly sealed--the handle moved, but the window didn't. What a surprise. Through the glass he saw a black car, parked just outside the gates. The windows were tinted, and it was anyone's guess who was inside. Naruto didn't much care. He crossed the room and tried the door.

It was locked. Another surprise. Naruto threw his weight against it, heaving; all he gained was a bruised shoulder and the suspicion that he'd have to gain fifty kilograms before he could budge it. He bent and glared at the seam, and saw the hinges were reinforced.

He banged on the door, first yelling and then screaming. No one came.

In the bathroom, the small windows were open, but grilled. Anyway, they were too high up for Naruto to reach. Naruto watched a gecko flit across the wall and out the window, and pulled his lips back.

Anko had taken off his shoes. She'd also taken his wallet, his cell phone, and his car keys. The shoes had been left in a convenient pile by the desk, along with his jacket, gloves, and scarf. She hadn't done the same with the wallet, or the phone, or the keys. It was like getting punched in the gut.

He went back to the bed and sat down. He was angry. He was furious. Naruto knew, because he felt hot, because his skin itched, because his limbs were stiff and his fingers kept twitching. But it was a distant anger, like that goddamn hot chocolate had removed Naruto from his own body and he hadn't quite come back yet.

There was fear, too, but it was more distant than the anger.

He sat, and studied the room. The fan was new. The AC was new too, and as quiet as the fan. The furniture was the same: heavy and wooden. On the desk was a tray of food, and--

--there was a packet of cigarettes, tucked neatly into the corner.

Right. Because he'd smoked, once upon a time, before Sakura started laying down ultimatums. Naruto stared at the tray for a long time. He didn't give a shit about the food, and even less about the unopened can of soda. He didn't care about the cigarettes, either.

Naruto stood up. He walked to the bookcase, where he thoroughly disrespected his childhood and tore pages out of his old, beloved comic books. In the bathroom, a quick search yielded a first aid kit, newer than he remembered. He opened it and was relieved to find two small bottles of alcohol, for swabbing cuts. They stung his nose when he opened them. By the door, he squatted and carefully soaked the comics he'd once loved fiercely.

The bedsheets would do for secondary fuel. Naruto stripped them off methodologically and dumped them by the door.

There _was_ a lighter on the tray, right next to the cigarettes. It was bright blue. Naruto felt his lips stretch, like he was smiling. He didn't let himself hesitate. He thumbed the lighter once, twice. Then he knelt down and got to work.

It took longer than he thought it would, to coax the flame onto the wood. The fire alarm shrilled; Naruto felt his not-smile widen. The smoke was thicker than he expected, low and gray. He watched as the flame climbed the door, hungry and quick.

Fucking awesome.

Naruto went to sit in his old desk chair, turning it around and straddling the back like a kid might. The alarm kept shrieking. The fire was quiet, but hungry.

He didn't have to wait long. There was an impressive sound, almost like cracking thunder; the door--the pieces of the door--were slammed down, fire and all--and then Anko was there, bellowing, "_What the fuck are you doing?_"

Naruto looked at her and said, "Let me see Sarutobi."

* * *

Anko let him see Sarutobi.

This time, she led him to the study, but Naruto told himself he wasn't scared. He was too busy being pissed off.

He let Anko march him to the desk, which had seemed impossibly big when he was young. Time had made it smaller but not less imposing. Then he wrenched his elbow out of Anko's iron grip, probably leaving bruises, and said, "What the fuck, you old bastard."

Sarutobi put his papers down and said, "Naruto," like it was a proper greeting. He didn't stand up, because he didn't need to; it was his study, with the heavy curtains and the two walls of books, and the single frame on the desk which was turned so Naruto couldn't see the picture.

Naruto said, again, "What the fuck. You better have a damn good explanation for--"

He couldn't say it. He couldn't say it, so he hissed, "I want an explanation."

For a long time, Sarutobi didn't say anything. He looked weary, and under the suit his thin shoulders seemed to sag under unknown weights. Naruto would have been disarmed, except for the steel in the old man's expression, uncovered in his eyes like a blade.

Finally Sarutobi said, "I don't owe you an explanation, Naruto. I never have."

Naruto looked at him and felt that old, familiar fear, rising in his stomach like disgust.

He'd been twelve years old. Just twelve years old, and content in that old house. Not--_happy_, he recognized that now, reminiscence had a way of casting pink on old memories, but--

--at least he'd had his father.

Naruto kept looking, into the face of a man who'd both taken and given him everything, and said, "Fuck you. You're not even going to let me leave, are you?"

"Not until I can be assured of your safety," Sarutobi said.

"Yeah? Have you always been this much of a paranoid shitcase, or is it a recent thing?" Naruto asked.

Sarutobi didn't answer, which was as good as a _yes_. "Anko will take you to a guestroom, since you've decided you don't like your old bedroom. Don't do anything stupid, Naruto," and that last was said in a tone so familiar and soft Naruto wasn't sure if he wanted to punch the man or, absurdly, apologize. He felt sick.

Anko stepped forward, looking not at all apologetic.

"What happened?" he asked, not moving just yet.

Again displaying a remarkable ability to just ignore anything he'd rather have Naruto not say, Sarutobi said, "Next time, if you require anything, simply knock on the door. Ms. Uzuki Yugao will help you. You gave the security staff quite a panic, Naruto."

Naruto just snorted. "Don't touch me," he snapped at Anko, and walked stiffly out of the study, not waiting to be dismissed.

He felt light-headed, and probably not from the lack of food. As they walked down the stairs, he said, "Anko, what--"

Anko glanced at him, wearing a weird expression, like everything was _funny_. "Konohamaru's missing."

"... What?"

"And your apartment's been compromised," she added.

"What does that mean?" Naruto asked dumbly.

"I mean it's been fucking trashed."

Suddenly, Naruto wanted to laugh, too. "And the old man couldn't just _say_ this?"

Anko stopped, and opened a highly unremarkable door, except Naruto could see the grills on the window above the queen-sized bed. Despite the furniture, it was pointedly empty.

"Get in," Anko said. "Don't try anything stupid, kid." She hesitated. "He might threaten your girlfriend, next, to make sure you behave."

"We broke up years ago," Naruto said automatically, thoroughly confused.

"Yeah, but her mini drug trade's still going strong, ain't it?" Anko said. She smiled at him, about as friendly as a shark. The door closed. It didn't sound anything like wood, because it _clanged_ shut. Naruto gaped at it.

"What the hell do you mean, drug trade?"

* * *

The day dragged on. Naruto watched the sun disappear through barred windows. There was barbed wire on top of the walls, he noted, which were square, tall, smooth, and looked about as easy to climb as ice.

Because he really needed a reminder of how good the security was here.

Someone entered; Naruto turned his head, giving the maid as sincere a smile as he could manage as she dropped off what was probably dinner. Behind the maid, a woman glowered--Uzuki Yugao, right. She was the guard from earlier, and she still looked ridiculously suspicious of him. He couldn't see her gun under her clothes.

Naruto tried on a smile for her, too, which she didn't return. She only closed the door.

When he was tired of glaring at the wall, he got up to inspect the contents of the new tray. Food and drink--dinner, this time, a lot of it. The maids had always loved teasing Naruto about his vacuum-cleaner stomach. He felt his lips twist unhappily.

There was a packet of cigarettes, and next to it a lighter, quietly telling Naruto that he could try setting shit on fire again and it wouldn't work. The cigarette packet was decorated with a photograph of a ruined lung. Naruto picked it up, put it back down.

The food smelled good.

Naruto checked out the bathroom instead. It smelt like dust and oranges. He opened the cupboard--and there was the first aid kit, the surface gray from disuse. Another slap in the face.

He splashed water on his face. He could start another fire, probably, and this time he'd do it to escape--not just so he could confront Sarutobi. But could he really...?

No. Think, Naruto. For once in your life. He stared hard at his reflection, like he'd magically get the answers he wanted that way. There was a guard outside--grills on the windows--security cameras--regular patrols--

Shit. Don't panic. Don't get angry. _Think._

... Did Sakura really deal in drugs? Would the old man really threaten her to keep Naruto locked down?

He might. He really might. Naruto took a deep, shaky breath, letting the air fill his lungs and imagining his worry escaping as easily as his next exhalation.

Coming from Anko, those words were as good as a threat. Sarutobi had a way of making sure harder news came from someone else. But Naruto would have to risk it. Because Konohamaru--

Who had taken him? Why would anyone even bother to kidnap the brat?

Naruto jerked upright. _Of course._

He ran out of the bathroom, stopping before the door to compose himself. Feeling ridiculous, he knocked.

It opened almost immediately. Uzuki Yugao, it turned out, was the guard from earlier. Despite her frailty, she looked ready to take him out. Naruto opened his mouth--

--and thought, No. Not now. It's too soon. Besides, she was the wrong person to confront.

So he tried to look relaxed, or as relaxed as someone in a gilded cage could be. "Could you guys get my luggage, at least? It'll be in the Red Prawn, room 17." He tried a smile. "I'm sure you won't have any trouble getting in, right."

Uzuki looked unimpressed at his sarcasm. "Yes, sir."

Naruto listened carefully when she shut the door, and--yeah, it was definitely disguised metal. The sound reverberated too much for it to be anything else.

While he waited, Naruto looked over the room one more time. There were plenty of astounding, exciting classics to keep him company, like Hemingway's _The Old Man and the Sea_. There were two chairs. As if Naruto could invite someone over. _Hey, what's up, man? Yeah, I got fucking kidnapped by the man who--_

(No.)

--_who raised me. Life's great, huh?_

He looked at the tray of food, felt his stomach clench, and looked away.

He wanted to call Sakura.

He wanted to call Neji, too.

And maybe even that bastard Sasuke, as long as he didn't say _I told you so_.

There was a clock on the wall--in case any prisoners wanted to go stir-crazy watching time pass, maybe. Naruto heaved a sigh, crossed the room, and chose a book.

He didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until he jerked awake. Naruto straightened. He'd had a nightmare--he was sure of it--but he couldn't remember what about, just that it left him sticky with sweat and fear. He didn't know what exactly had woken him up, but _something_ had, drifting on the edge of his consciousness.

"Shit," he breathed, and rubbed his cheeks with the palm of his hands. It was like he'd never slept at all, like his mind and body, hyper-alert state and all, had been dumped across a time jump. His neck hurt from sleeping in a chair, and the sun hadn't even risen properly yet.

He picked up the tray and dumped the contents into the trash bin, wincing at the smell. He was starving, but he didn't want to eat, and the contradiction gave him a headache. Or maybe that was the lack of sleep and food.

He stepped into the bathroom, pulling his clothes off slowly. He washed in cold water, and then rinsed off in warm; the sudden contrast made the water even hotter, beating some of the tension from his body.

He wrapped a towel around himself, rubbing his hair dry with another. Fuck, hadn't he asked for his luggage? Why hadn't it arrived by now? All they had to do was drive down there and get it, right?

Unless something happened. Naruto didn't let himself worry about it, but that didn't mean it wasn't _there_, along with everything else.

The book he'd been reading had fallen on the floor; the pages were bent. Naruto picked it up, read the title, and snorted. _Cloudstreet_--no wonder he'd fallen asleep.

A perfunctory knock caught his attention; Naruto glanced up as the door opened. He watched as the maid delivered clothes, putting them neatly away. They weren't his clothes. Not a single one of them was orange.

Uzuki said only, "I apologize for the delay, sir." Her tone was wooden and less welcoming than Iruka in a bad mood.

Naruto said, "What the fuck happened?" like it would get him an answer. It didn't. Uzuki didn't frown, exactly, but she looked disappointed in him. What was he supposed to do, smile and sit still like an idiot?

She asked, "What would you like for breakfast?"

Ramen.

"I don't care," Naruto said. "Can I have my phone back?"

Uzuki said, "Yes, sir."

He didn't get it back.

* * *

Dinner was ramen.

It didn't take long for Naruto to give into his stomach.

He didn't eat a lot. Not by his usual standards. But he still felt like he'd lost, somehow, and the thought made him queasy. The drink was canned, again, so Naruto felt that it was probably safe. Even so, he didn't drink it, opting for tapwater. It tasted metallic against his tongue.

He'd prowled the room seven times by now. He felt like maybe he should do so again, in case it might be useful. Instead, he went to the bathroom, even though he didn't really need to go.

It was ten o' clock. Funny how time passed so fucking slowly in here, and yet it seemed like the whole day had slipped through his fingers, shriveled up and wasted. Naruto snorted, closing the bathroom door behind him. He needed to come up with a pl--

He froze.

Someone was taping the glass.

_Someone was taping the glass_. With packing tape. Naruto jerked his upper body up. His mouth dropped. The man on the other side, very calmly, broke the glass. Naruto wondered if he was dreaming.

Apparently not, because the man said, "Oi. Get started with the grill while I clear the glass." He was holding out a vice grip. His irritated expression suggested he was picking up shit from the sidewalk, not breaking Naruto out.

"They... they're one-way screws," Naruto said, approaching the window slowly as if the man were an apparition that would scare. "And they're pretty deep. That probably wouldn't work."

The man said, "Tch. Fine, here," and Naruto numbly accepted the center punch and hammer offered.

"Er. What about the cameras? The guards?"

"Juugo and Karin took care o' that," the man said. His hair was bleached near-white, and looked jagged and dry, but his eyes shone near-red. His grin made Naruto think of sharks.

Naruto used a pillow-case to muffle the hammering as much as he could; in the night, each sound was unbelievably magnified, even his own heartbeat, beating in time with his careful, quiet hits. When the glass was cleared, the man impatiently took over; he removed all the screws in just twenty minutes. Naruto steadied the grill. It was surprisingly light. He leaned it against the wall and resisted the urge to kick it.

"We're running late," the man said, sounding digusted. "Let's go."

Naruto said, "Right," and vaulted over. The grass was cool against his bare feet, and, shit, why hadn't he ever noticed how sweet outside always smelled, city-air or not?

"I hope you can climb. I ain't carrying you," the man said, leading Naruto straight to the wall with little concern for cameras. Then they really _had_ been taken care of. But--how?

"What?" the man said. "Hurry up. Or you _want_ me to carry you? I could."

Right. Naruto was going to bulk up as soon as this whole shitfest was over. Ten kilograms at least. He grabbed the rope and began hauling himself up, bare feet finding grip on the wall. His muscles burned, but that was nothing against the rush he felt.

Then he stopped. "There's an electric fence," he said, numbly.

"So?" the man said. "We disabled that. _Go_."

Naruto went.

He half-fell, half-slid down the other side, knees complaining as he landed unsteadily. A bare second later the man followed, moving like water as if his heavy bag didn't bother him at all. While he coiled the rope, Naruto walked unsteadily forward--and stopped. It was the black car from before, and--

Sasuke.

Sasuke, who just looked at him, leaning against the car like a cut-out from a magazine. "What?" he said.

"Sasuke," Naruto said. "I'm going to break your face."

The man swept past them, muttering under his breath. Sasuke said, "Shut up, Suigetsu," but he didn't stop looking at Naruto.

"Come on," Sasuke said.

"This is seriously anti-climactic," Naruto said, and stepped forward. So did Sasuke.

It wasn't a hug. Naruto felt crushed, like Sasuke was pulling him closer and closer, physical barriers be damned. He couldn't breathe.

The car window rolled down. A woman said, "Urgh, just get in, would you?" And then: "Bitch."

Sasuke let go. It took Naruto a moment to realize he had to let go, too. He flushed and stepped back, loosening suddenly stiff fingers.

Sasuke said, "Let's go," and took Naruto's hand. Naruto let him. They climbed inside the car. Suigetsu kept his eyes outside, shoulders stiff, still muttering to himself. It occured to Naruto he was keeping watch.

The woman up front said, "Right," and drove. Naruto twisted in his seat and watched Sarutobi's mansion disappear.

He was hungry again.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Payout on Seven

**Crown & Anchor**  
by Nilladriel

_This fic is rapidly reaching novella-length without my permission. I'm depressed._

**Chapter Eleven: Payout on Seven**

Naruto forced himself to wait three, five, eight minutes, before he leaned forward and said pleasantly, "You can drop me off at the Red Prawn."

He kept his eyes on the driver, but he didn't miss the way Sasuke's shoulders jerked.

Suigetsu turned his entire body, like he was getting ready to throw Naruto down. "What makes you think--"

"I could just jump out of the car," Naruto said.

A speed-bump half-threw them into the air, because the driver didn't slow down. "Go ahead," she said. Her red hair fit her, Naruto thought uncharitably.

"Karin." It was Sasuke, still tense. "Go to the Red Prawn."

The driver--Karin, then--didn't reply. She just kept driving. Naruto put one hand on the back of her seat. "Oi, did you hear?"

The car jerked to a stop. Naruto slammed his palms against the front seats to stop his forward motion. Suigetsu snarled, "You _bitch_," and then his bag dropped to the floor and he was shoving Naruto aside, reaching for Karin with outstretched fingers.

A large hand enclosed his wrist. It was the big guy; the abrupt stop had woken him up. He asked, "What's happening?" with the serene expression of someone who has cruised through life with all the ease of a bulldozer.

Suigetsu stared at him, mouth agape. Naruto could see the words lining up in his head, getting ready to be yelled out.

Karin ignored them both. She was hunched in her seat, knuckles white as she gripped the wheel. "You can't," she said, "be serious. Orochimaru said to bring him straight there--"

"So?" Sasuke asked. "It's not as if I'm working for him." His tone was nonchalant, but his arm was pressed against Naruto; he'd thrown it out in time to stop Naruto from flying. He shook his head at the stare-down in front of him. "Juugo, let him go. Suigetsu, sit back down."

They obeyed with a fluidity that unnerved Naruto. I still don't trust you, he thought, and pushed Sasuke's arm away. "That bastard has Konohamaru, doesn't he?"

Sasuke glanced at him, and then at Karin. "... Yes. We shouldn't give Orochimaru too much leverage over Sarutobi. We don't actually want him to successfuly re-establish himself."

"The Red Prawn's that way, by the way," Naruto said, and pointed.

Karin hunched even more. She was going to turn into a turtle. "I don't--"

"Drive us to the Red Prawn, Karin," Sasuke said.

The car went through a jagged u-turn. Karin needed to find a safer way to express her anger. Naruto leaned back, frowned, and looked at Sasuke. "Oi," he said. "Move your arm."

Sasuke still looked irritated. He did move his arm, but not away, shifting it so it curled around Naruto's back and pulled him closer. Which hadn't been what Naruto meant, but whatever. He watched the city go by, easy-as-you-please, completely unaware of everything that had happened.

The big guy had gone straight back to sleep, which gave the entire situation a surreal edge of normalcy. Naruto felt like he was floating, like he was going to suddenly wake up and someone was going to say, _It was all a dream._

Karin whispered something, a certain word with a sibilant _s_ and a hard, damning _t_. Naruto ignored her.

He wished someone would turn on the radio, but Karin was too immersed in jerking the car left and right, and looking gleeful as she cut around slow drivers. He decided not to bother her.

"Where would you have taken me?" he asked Sasuke, figuring awkward conversation was better than awkward silence.

"To my house, first," Sasuke said. "To drop the team off. Then to Orochimaru."

"I didn't know you live here," Naruto said.

"I don't. It's a vacation home."

Naruto pulled himself up. Sasuke's arm stayed where it was. "You own a _vacation home_."

Sasuke grunted. "Suigetsu. Give Naruto the spare shoes."

"You even brought spare shoes?" Naruto asked, watching Suigetsu zip open his bag. Tools clanked, muffled by folds of cloth.

"Yeah." Suigetsu snorted. "Details man. That's me."

"_I _was the one who," Karin started, and then: "Urgh. Never mind."

The shoes were white, and too big, especially without socks. "Whose are these, anyway?" Naruto asked.

"Mine," Sasuke said.

"We're here," Karin announced loudly, and immediately.

Sasuke got out of the car first, and then Naruto. Except Sasuke didn't get back in and leave. He said, "I'm going in with you."

"What are you, my babysitter?" Naruto demanded, even as he walked past the dry fountain. "I don't need--oh, _shit_, what is she doing here?"

Sasuke moved with Naruto--towards the wall and out of sight, at least from the people inside. Naruto peeked surreptitiously, or at least as much as a person with a full head of blond hair could. Sasuke gestured; like magic, the car reversed. It disappeared around the corner.

"Who is that?" Sasuke asked.

"Mitarashi Anko," Naruto said. "She's worked for Sarutobi for... ever since I could remember. She's probably looking for me."

"You're hiding from her," Sasuke said, suddenly king of the obvious. "So Sarutobi really _did_ lock you up."

Naruto pulled back to stare at Sasuke. "What? Isn't that why you warned me?" he said.

"No." Sasuke was stepping away from the wall, probably looking for another way in. "I was more worried about Orochimaru."

"Oh, you mean the man you were _very obviously_ defending yourself from on the phone," Naruto said.

"_Listen_ to me--I never meant," Sasuke said, "to let Orochimaru lay even a finger on you."

Naruto listened. He had to, because Sasuke had pushed him into the wall. His shoulder ached, still complaining about the sorry attempt to force down the door. Sasuke's fingers spasmed, as if he'd just realized what he'd done.

"O-kay," Naruto said, carefully.

"I--" Sasuke shook his head. "Orochimaru is _here_. In Wave. And looking for you." Obviously remembering Anko, Sasuke stepped back and crouched behind wayward bushes. His hair blended in with the twisting branches.

Naruto just dropped down to his elbows beside him and let Sasuke do the watching. "_Why_? He has Konohamaru, doesn't he? What's he need me for?"

"I don't--ah," Sasuke said. "That woman's leaving."

"Good. I'm not in winter clothes. Don't take off your jacket," Naruto added snappishly, even as Sasuke's hand went to the zipper.

Sasuke's lips thinned, like he was trying to make them disappear. "Fine. Wait a bit," he said. Naruto ignored the dash of vindication in the other man's tone.

"She's heading towards the parking lot," Sasuke reported, and then: "_Move_, before her car swings around and she sees us."

They didn't run, but it wasn't really a walk. "We're only going to the lobby--"

"No. The bathroom," Sasuke said. "Otherwise she'll see us through the windows. _Idiot._"

"I'm not an--"

Sasuke pulled the door to the restroom open. Naruto ducked inside before Sasuke could shove him in.

"Hey!" Naruto said. "There's a toilet here. And you--just locked the door. Wow, this probably looks really suspicious."

"We'll wait ten minutes."

"Yeah. Really suspicious," Naruto said, and sat on the toilet. "So Orochimaru really has Konohamaru, huh. How the hell did that happen? Last I heard, his bodyguards were all over him."

Sasuke leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, looking cool and unaffected, except he was in a restroom. "What if he doesn't?"

"What?" But Naruto had been so sure, so ready to demand. "Who else would?"

"You said it yourself," Sasuke said. "If he has Konohamaru, why would he be so desperate to get you?"

"He is? And who the hell else would have him, anyway?" Naruto bit out.

"I think...."

"Huh?" Naruto looked up. Sasuke pushed off the wall and stood in front of him, placing his hand on Naruto's neck. His skin was warm. "Sasuke? What are you--"

Sasuke's fingers curled around black string and drew out a necklace--the birthday necklace. That day seemed an eternity ago. "Do you know who sent you this?" he asked.

"No fucking idea," Naruto said.

"Hm. I think I do." Sasuke didn't move, not noticing or caring how close they were. "Your father worked for a syndicate headed by the legendary three."

"Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru," Naruto said. "And your family worked to bring them down. And then shit went to hell, right here in this city, and they disappeared."

Sasuke looked surprised. "How did you...?"

"I asked," Naruto said.

Sasuke snorted. "Actually, my family initially worked _with_ the three," he said, bitter. "It was profitable. But my brother disagreed. He started leaking information on them. He had to stop, though."

"Yeah?"

Sasuke still hadn't moved away; his fingers were idly rubbing against the necklace, so that Naruto saw glints of light at the edges of his vision. Sasuke's other hand had found its way to Naruto's shoulder.

Sasuke hesitated. "It's how I came to live with you and your father."

"You mean, he kidnapped you so your brother would behave." Naruto took in a deep, shuddering breath. The room smelled foul, with an overlaying coat of citrus. "Shit."

"Five years. My brother searched for five years," Sasuke said. "But he couldn't win against Namikaze, not when finding me would mean finding you. So he asked Sarutobi for a favor."

The world numbed. "The raid," Naruto breathed, and thought: Ah. That's why.

"Right," Sasuke said. "The point is, it isn't just Orochimaru who might hold a grudge against Sarutobi. It's all three of them. And either I'm dreaming, or this is the necklace that... you're not listening." He dropped the necklace.

"Tell me about the raid," Naruto said.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"_Just tell me, you ass._"

"Fine." There was no hesitation in Sasuke's voice, no uncertainty, but he was kneading the flesh of Naruto's shoulder with restless fingers. "Sarutobi and his men found the house we lived in. They staged a raid and retrieved me. In the ensuing chaos, your father died. And Itachi... my brother was free to cripple the legendary three. Rather than face arrest, they fled."

"Sarutobi," Naruto said. "He... what did Sarutobi gain from the raid?"

"Well, the legendary three _were_ threatening his power base," Sasuke said doubtfully. "So it was probably fortuitous for him that your father died."

"Right. Fortuitous," Naruto said, and laughed. He leaned forward, pressing his face against Sasuke's torso. "Right. Oh, shit."

Sasuke's fingers stopped moving. "Naruto?"

"Oh, _shit_," Naruto repeated. "It wasn't a favor, you dipshit."

"What are you--"

"Ensuing chaos, my _ass_," Naruto said. "Sarutobi didn't go to that house just for you, Sasuke."

Naruto turned his head, pressed his cheek against the smooth material of Sasuke's jacket. It was impossible, but he imagined he could hear the bastard's heartbeat anyway, through layers of muscle and skin and cloth. He said, "It wasn't a favor. It was a deal. Sarutobi went to that house to blow my Dad's face off.

"Because that was it, right?

"_That_ was the killing blow to the legendary three."

Naruto's voice died off. He'd been yelling. The echoes were still trapped in the enclosed space, hemmed in by faded tile and stained walls.

"I didn't," Sasuke started. At least he shut himself up. He said, "Your hands are shaking." Naruto felt Sasuke shift down, until he was kneeling in front of Naruto.

"No they're not," Naruto said. Sasuke just snorted, brushing his lips across the joints of Naruto's fingers.

"Did you see it happen?" Sasuke asked. He didn't let Naruto pull his hands away, fanning the fingers out and holding them gently, studying each centimeter and minute tremble.

"Yeah," Naruto said. "You know, I rushed him." He chuckled. "I mean. He'd just--he'd just shot my Dad, and I just jumped out and rushed him. Called him a fucking old bastard."

He looked down at their entwined digits. His breaths were shallow and light. "I haven't told anyone this," Naruto said.

"I heard the gunshot," Sasuke said. "From the car."

"I saw it," Naruto returned. "You know, he looked so surprised afterwards. That old man."

"He probably hadn't expected you," Sasuke said. Their hands dropped to Naruto's thighs; Sasuke leaned in, serious and frowning. "I told you, your father was amazing. No one knew you existed."

"Just so you know," Naruto said, "that doesn't make me feel better."

Sasuke tilted his head up. Naruto's grip tightened; Sasuke's breath was warm against his lips. And then it was just heat, and pressure, and a tongue moving against his own. Then Sasuke exhaled and leaned back, looking regretful.

"That didn't, either," Naruto said. He pressed their foreheads together. Sasuke's bangs got in the way.

"We should go," Sasuke said.

"Right," Naruto said hoarsely. Neither of them moved. The room was small. The passing time didn't at all lessen the impact of that horrible, tangy smell. They were in a motherfucking toilet, in a hotel, in a city that held both Orochimaru and Sarutobi.

Still. Naruto felt safe. He felt safer than he had in--too long.

He moved forward, and kissed Sasuke again.

They fell back. Sasuke landed on his ass; Naruto followed him, knees thudding painfully onto the floor. It was slippery. Naruto didn't want to know why. Sasuke stared past him, maybe at some stain on the ceiling, and said, "That fucking hurt--you are _not_ pushing me down."

"Why not?" Naruto said, already zipping open Sasuke's jacket. "It's just water. Probably."

Sasuke was still staring up at the ceiling, even as Naruto slipped a hand underneath his shirt. Naruto had forgotten how different guys were from girls: soft and hard at the same time, sharp angles covered by smooth skin.

It was good, though. It was better than letting the memories swallow him up.

He could almost hear that gunshot.

"You're doing it again," Sasuke said suddenly. Naruto just settled himself on Sasuke's lap, shrugging. "Like on that day you were followed."

"This?" Naruto said, and bent down to lick Sasuke's neck.

He was stopped by a hand on his chest. Sasuke was staring at him, eyes cold, like the weather outside. "Not here," Sasuke said.

Naruto stared back. Sasuke's hand didn't give.

"Fine," he said.

"Good," Sasuke said, and pushed himself up, catching Naruto completely by surprise. It was open-mouthed, and wet, and messy, and for that moment--for just a moment--Naruto forgot where he was, and where he'd been.

* * *

"You!"

Naruto closed the door behind them, and looked up into an accusing finger. "Er?" he said.

"You're room 17! Right?" The receptionist's eyes flittled between them. "The one they keep asking about!"

Naruto's stomach sank, taking the rest of his insides with it. "What?"

"Yeah!" The man looked far too excited. "That woman just now was asking if I'd seen you. I said no, of course," he said loyally.

"But... you _hadn't_ seen me," Naruto said.

"And last night! Wow. That second group looked pretty pissed, though. Oh, but I told 'em no, too, of course, I ain't never seen you, or even set eyes on you, I was good."

"But," Naruto said, "you really_ hadn't_ ever seen me. I've never met you before."

The receptionist seemed to prefer his own version of events. "So? What're you in trouble for? I bet it's money, right? It's always money."

Naruto pressed his palm against his eyes. "Look. Could you just... give me a copy of my room key? I just want to get my luggage and get out of here."

"Sure! Sure, you want to move quickly, right, because--"

"Yes, yes, I'm on the run, lucky me. Just give me the key," Naruto said. "And stop watching TV, or reading books, or whatever it is that's gotten you this strange."

"Oh! But you'll need to pay for the room," the man added, temporarily leaving the dramatic soap playing through his head. "Even if you have to save up the money, you know, to pay off those buff-looking guys. 'Cause otherwise I get in trouble, see."

At least he looked a bit regretful.

"I'll pay," Sasuke said. "You get your stuff." Naruto almost protested, before remembering the suite at at the Millenium, and the apparent vacation house. Then he just shrugged.

While Sasuke made his wallet useful, Naruto went upstairs to the room. He slid in the key and opened the heavy door. The bed was made; the curtains flapped, gently.

Something was wrong.

Nothing happened when he walked in, though. No one jumped him. The room was dreadfully cheerful, with the obnoxious _welcome! _slid under the glass top of the vanity.

Naruto packed. He checked each drawer in the room, went through the closet, the bathroom--made sure he left nothing behind, like an ordinary traveler checking out of a hotel. Everything was as he'd left it, except for whatever room service had cleaned up.

Naruto opened up his luggage. Everything was messy and out of place. Normal, then. He zipped everything up and headed out.

Sasuke wasn't waiting for him in the lobby; he was interrogating the poor receptionist instead. Naruto sighed.

"How many?" Sasuke was saying. "And when?"

At this, the receptionist hesitated. "Um," he said. "They told me not to say."

Naruto rolled his eyes and shoved Sasuke aside. "You're useless," he said.

"I just," Sasuke growled, "paid for your room."

"Right, thanks," Naruto said. "You"--he glanced at the guy's nametag--"Koji, you obviously suck at keeping secrets. So, how many people came looking for me, when, and what did they look like?"

"I do not suck at keeping secrets," Koji said, looking sulky. "Look, late at night this chick came in, asking to get into Room 17. Emi was totally freaked. Well, so was I, she was real threatening. And then, get this, this entire group came in and the chick just said, 'Nevermind,' and she left."

"The group," Sasuke said. "What did they look like?"

"Um, there was this fat-ass, some guy with purple nails...." Koji trailed off. Sasuke radiated fury.

"How many were there?" he hissed.

"Five? Six? Look, I don't know--"

Sasuke leaned forward.

"Six!" Koji yelped. "Six, okay?"

Well. At least he finally understood it wasn't all fun and games. "Leave him alone, Sasuke," Naruto said.

"Could I have some mo--"

"_No_," Naruto and Sasuke snapped at the same time.

"Sure," Koji said. "Sure, absolutely." He took one step back. Naruto just picked up his things.

They went back out into the biting cold. Sasuke pulled out a cell phone.

"Thanks for dropping me off," Naruto said lamely.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked.

"Um. I have no idea." Naruto said.

"You could--" Sasuke tried.

"Just because we made out in a hotel bathroom, and you broke me out of the house, you think I trust you enough to come with you?" Naruto said.

Sasuke turned his cellphone over in his hand. "Yes?"

"Fine, okay," Naruto said, and sighed. "Go ahead and call the car. I'll follow you. You'll have to wait for a bit, though," he added. "Anko took my keys, so I'm gonna have to hotwire my own car."

Sasuke, cellphone half-way to his ear, stopped. "You know how to hotwire a car."

"Yes?" Naruto said. It was useful, so of course he knew.

"If we hadn't come," Sasuke said, slowly, "do you think you would have broken out of Sarutobi's mansion on your own? Eventually?"

"What's with that 'eventually'?" Naruto huffed. He walked towards the parking lot. "I'll meet you up front, okay?"

Sasuke remembered to close his mouth. His jaw cracked. "Okay," he said.


	12. Chapter Twelve: Go Fish

**Crown & Anchor  
**by Nilladriel

_I started this fic in February. Five and a half months have passed, and with this chapter, C&A has (finally!) hit 50,000 words. I seriously hope it won't take me another half year to finish this fic, though. D:_

**Chapter Twelve: Go Fish**

"It's--kind of small, isn't it?" Naruto said doubtfully. He slammed the car door shut.

Karin whirled on him. "You--"

"It's not meant to hold five people," Sasuke interrupted.

The land was partitioned off by a double wire fence. There wasn't even a proper gate, just a gap between two wooden posts. The land sloped uneasily, and at the crest of a hill stood the bungalow. It was old-fashioned, with sections painted light green and thin, flowery grills that looked more decorative than protective. The windows were all blackened.

The big guy, Juugo, hefted Naruto's luggage like a man idly picking up pieces of paper. Naruto said, "Er, thanks," and trailed after him.

Sasuke unlocked the door, and they all went inside, into an expansive living room. There was no TV; rolled-up bedding was stuffed against the wall. Karin kicked a pillow out of the way ("That's mine, bitch," Suigetsu said) and stormed towards the kitchen.

"Where's she going?" Naruto asked.

"Pigging out," Suigetsu said, loudly.

"I'm not!" Karin yelled back.

"I am," Naruto said, and followed her through the arched doorway. The kitchen was hideously green, with the walls matching the floor. Naruto felt offended just being in it.

Karin opened the refrigerator and took out a covered dish. "What is that?" he asked.

"Look," Karin said. Naruto had never seen anyone open a microwave so angrily before. "You're only here because Sasuke decided, for whatever reason, you'd be more useful away from Orochimaru."

She pressed the start button and whirled around. "But I think you're a danger, and I think you're a liability, and I don't trust you. I just want you to know someone's watching."

Naruto's eyes crossed as he focused on her pointing finger. "I, um, just wanted to know what was in that dish," Naruto said. "If it makes you feel better, I don't trust you guys, either."

"Then why are you _here_?" she asked.

"Where the hell else would I go?" Naruto asked. "Back to Sarutobi? Look, at this point I just want to find Konohamaru and bring him back home. Finding some answers would be nice, but going home's even _better_."

"You really think you can do that?" Karin asked.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"You think it'll be as easy as that? You think Orochimaru, or even Sarutobi, would hesitate to come after you?"

The microwave beeped. Karin carried the ceramic dish with bare hands to the table. She took off the cover; it was chicken.

"I just want to go home," Naruto said, exasperated.

"You want to run away," Karin said. She pointed at him with the dish cover. "If you really want to scarper, fine. But you need to at least find a away to keep whoever's after you down. Otherwise, home will be as dangerous as here."

She pushed her glasses up. "You already know that, though, don't you? Otherwise you would have gone back already. You wouldn't have come here. And that's why I'm suspicious of you. I won't let you use Sasuke."

"Who's using who?" Naruto snapped.

"Right now, _we're_ using _you_," Karin said, shameless. "I'd like to keep it that way. Here."

She shoved the dish across the table. Naruto looked down at it. "At least get me a plate," he said.

"Get it yourself."

She left the kitchen. If there was a door, she would have slammed it. Naruto said, "Bitch," and went to search the cupboards.

He found mugs, none of them matching. There was a bright orange one that he liked, so he took it out to use. The drawers yielded cutlery, which Naruto ignored. He had perfectly serviceable hands.

Under the sink were bottles of cleaning supplies, and rags, all surrounded by filth and cobwebs. Naruto gagged.

"They're in the right-most cabinet."

Naruto banged his head against a pipe. The sound made his entire head vibrate, even his brain. "Ga-huh?" he croaked.

He straightened. Juugo was already taking out two plates and setting them on the table.

"You're probably hungry," Juugo said apologetically, "but--"

"I don't mind sharing," Naruto said. "Er. It isn't even mine."

Juugo smiled.

Naruto was reminded of Hinata. If Neji calmed people with (probably drugged) tea, Hinata calmed them just by being nearby and emitting mysterious waves of zen. Juugo wasn't the same--he moved like Lee, with the control of someone exactly aware of his strength--but he was similar enough that Naruto smiled back.

Still. Naruto asked, "So, did you take care of the guards around the mansion?"

"Hm?" Juugo said.

"Or did Karin?" Naruto pulled up a chair. "It was probably you, though, right?"

Juugo was magically conjuring vegetables and rice from the fridge. "It was me."

Not so much like Hinata, then. Naruto said, "Huh," and dug in.

* * *

It felt good to take a shower without desperately planning escape in the back of his mind; it felt even better to dress in his own clothes. Sasuke stared at him as he stepped out.

"What?" Naruto said, self-conscious after their little session in the toilet.

"You wore that shirt the night Sakura," Sasuke started, and then stopped, obviously not really knowing how to say it.

Naruto believed in being helpful. He said, "The night she completely owned you with her shoe? Yeah," and grinned. The bed was old, and one of the posts was missing a cap. He spread out his towel and sat down.

"There's bedding on the floor," Sasuke said.

Naruto affected surprise. "Yeah? Cool, you can use it, then."

Sasuke frowned. "Naruto...."

"Why'd Karin bring the bedding, anyway? The bed's large enough for both of us." Naruto rubbed at his hair. A droplet trailed down his back, and he shivered slightly. "And we've shared before."

"Maybe you should sleep in the living room," Sasuke said.

"But there's a _bed_ here."

"Look." Sasuke stood. It made him taller, but after dinner with Juugo, it left Naruto unimpressed. "Karin is a valuable member of the group, and--"

"My existence is pissing her off?" Naruto said. "Too bad."

Sasuke stepped closer. "You--"

"Maybe," Naruto interrupted, "you should have thought about that _before you kissed me_."

"Would you be quiet?" Sasuke said.

Naruto gaped. He threw the towel at Sasuke's face; Sasuke dodged. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to sleep in the living room," Naruto said. "Since you asked." He wrenched the door open--

There was a long, awful pause. And then Naruto said, "Oh, hey, Karin. What's up?"

She was glaring at him through her thick-framed glasses. When she spoke, it was obviously to Sasuke, but she kept her eyes on him. "Orochimaru called."

"Did he say why?" Sasuke said, suddenly behind Naruto.

Karin's face transformed; her lips stretched into a strained smile. "No. But he wants to talk to you now."

"Alright." Sasuke added, "You can go." He snagged the back of Naruto's shirt before he could follow her.

"Oi," Naruto said.

Sasuke reached around him and closed the door. "Sit," he said.

Naruto crossed his arms and didn't sit. He wasn't some mutt. Sasuke raised and lowered a shoulder--_whatever_--and crossed the room, picking the phone up from its cradle.

"Orochimaru," he greeted woodenly, and then: "Yes, he's here."

A pause. "I was going to, until I discovered that Konohamaru is missing." Sasuke smiled. It didn't look natural.

"Yes, but we did, and your team didn't."

The pause this time was longer. Naruto resisted the urge to step closer and press his ear up against Sasuke's. The other man obviously didn't like what he was hearing: his eyes were thin, narrowed slits, like he could glare Orochimaru out of existence.

He said, "Good_bye_, Orochimaru," and hung up.

"You're a pretty good liar," Naruto said.

Sasuke flinched.

"But this time, you let me listen."

"I learn." He put the phone down.

Naruto snorted. "Fine," he said. "I'll stay, you contradictory asshole."

He dropped dramatically back onto the bed, arms flung out. Sasuke stepped closer and looked down at him. His frown wasn't any more attractive up-side down. It just made his features float, like they didn't really belong to his face.

Naruto said, "You could at least look happy."

Sasuke sat down. The mattress sank. He said, "Why are you _here_?"

"Um." Naruto mirrored Sasuke's expression. "You--_did_ just stop me from leaving, so I assumed--"

"No." Sasuke hook his head. "Why are you here, in this house, and not...."

Naruto turned onto his side, propping his head up on a hand. "You know, Karin asked me the same thing. And then she answered herself," he added, and rolled his eyes. "I _want_ to go home... but I have things to take care of first, here." His eyes flickered up. "Lie down and quit looming."

Sasuke snorted. He didn't move.

"Fine." Naruto turned over again, onto his stomach. It was easier to explain to the wall than to Sasuke. "I need to rescue Konohamaru, first up. And then I need to"--what had Karin said?--"keep Sarutobi and Orochimaru down. _Then_ I can go home."

"Hn," Sasuke said, like it was an adequate response.

"You--_do_ know who has Konohamaru, right?" Naruto asked.

"I have suspicions," Sasuke said.

"Good enough." Naruto yawned. Damn, but he was tired all over. "What about you? What are _your_ goals?"

Sasuke said, "Right now? To sleep."

"Oi, that's cheating," Naruto said. The mattress bounced as Sasuke got up to turn off the light. "Seriously, I want to know."

He pushed himself up with his elbows. Sasuke's silhouette got gradually more defined as he adjusted to the dark. He couldn't see Sasuke's eyes, though, and that was strange. They were his most striking feature.

"Sasuke," he said. "Seriously."

Sasuke approached and leaned down. His middle and ring finger trailed the helix of Naruto's ear. He said, "I wanted to find you."

"That's it?" Naruto said, skeptical.

"... No," Sasuke said.

"Anyway, you've found me. Congratulations. So now what? You have other things you want done, right?"

Sasuke said, "Do you hate Sarutobi?"

Which didn't answer Naruto's question at all, just made Naruto freeze up. The shock went straight through him, until he recovered enough to hiss, "What the fuck kind of a question is that?"

"Do you?" Sasuke pressed. He cupped the back of Naruto's head. His fingers slid through damp hair, lightly massaging the vulnerable flesh at the back of Naruto's skull.

"Why are you asking?" Naruto said.

Sasuke didn't answer. Naruto wished, more than ever, that he could see his eyes. All he could discern, though, was the hint of teeth, the darker mass of hair, and--Sasuke's hand on him.

Naruto exhaled, long and clear. "I guess I should," he said.

"That's not a 'yes,' " Sasuke said.

"Fuck you," Naruto said.

"Not yet."

Naruto said, "Not funny, jackass."

"It wasn't a joke," Sasuke said. Naruto turned his head slightly, but Sasuke didn't move any closer. But--ah, _now_ he could see Sasuke's eyes. They told him less than he'd hoped they would.

"I don't hate him," Naruto said, very slowly. "He's given me too much."

"Then," Sasuke said, "it's only the legendary three I want to bring down."

Naruto laughed, incredulous. "What does that mean?"

"I wanted to find you," Sasuke said. "I've found you. So now I'll finish what my brother started."

"I don't get you," Naruto said. "The legendary three... okay, fine, they sound big, bad, and ugly. But why did you want to find _me_ so badly? Though--"

He stopped. Even with the lights off, it was easy to see how _red_ Sasuke's face was. Like a tree ornament, or a pepper, or a flag. "Okay, now I really want to know."

"Shut up," Sasuke said.

"I haven't said anything, man," Naruto said. He grinned. "So?"

"Shut up!" Sasuke said again. "It's your fault for forgetting, anyway."

Naruto's grin widened. "But since I don't remember, you should tell me."

Sasuke rolled Naruto under him, planted his elbows on either side of his head, and kissed him.

Naruto said, "That only shuts people up in movies and books."

"Are you sure?" Sasuke said, smirking.

"Because as soon as you stop I can just keep talk--"

Sasuke shut him up again. This time, he did it properly.

* * *

Naruto woke up that night from another nightmare.

Like before, he didn't remember what he'd dreamed about. But it was easy to guess, with the way his heart was beating--quick stacatto bursts that made his chest ache.

Winter night or not, it was too cold. He groped for the blanket, and found Sasuke's hand instead. Naruto's own hand was roughened by years of working with paint, plaster, clay. Sasuke's was surprisingly soft for a guy's, really, except for a callus from a pencil.

There was a whispered exhalation. Sasuke didn't seem to have woken up, though. Naruto could tell, because his brow was completely relaxed.

"You need to loosen up," Naruto told him. "You're gonna turn into one of those overly bitchy old men. Like the principal of my school, hah."

Sasuke just kept on sleeping.

Naruto said, "I lied to Karin. I _do_ trust you."

No answer, of course. Naruto kissed the callus on Sasuke's finger and let his hand drop. He was hungry. He decided to stay in bed instead, waiting for the effects of the nightmare to properly fade so he could drop back to sleep.

Beside him, Sasuke lay still and asleep. Naruto draped the blanket around them both, and pillowed his head against Sasuke's shoulder.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto demolished five pancakes, four bananas, an entire packet of cheese, and six sausages.

"Those were mine," Sasuke said. He looked underdressed in a baggy shirt and loose pants. He also looked stupefied.

Juugo smiled.

Karin had woken up last, walking into the kitchen in black shorts and an open white shirt, laptop under her arm. She'd glared at Naruto, and Naruto had braced himself, arming himself with a blunt knife smudged with ketchup, and then Karin had seen Suigetsu.

The two of them were still arguing. At least Naruto had been able to get on with breakfast.

"Are you cooking eggs? Can I have them?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"No," Sasuke said.

"Yes," Juugo said, and transferred the eggs to Naruto's plate. Sasuke frowned but didn't protest, maybe because Juugo was the one with the heavy, black frying pan.

"What's our next move?" Juugo asked, while Naruto drew a face onto one egg with ketchup.

Sasuke thought for a bit, and then just took Suigetsu's unattended plate. "Has Konohamaru's disappearence been confirmed?" he said.

Karin turned away from Suigetsu long enough to say, "Yes. There are people looking for him already."

"Did his parents contact the police?" Naruto asked, around a mouthful of yolk.

Karin and Juugo glanced at each other. It was Suigetsu who snorted and said, "Not in this world."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Why not?"

"The police are dangerous," Suigetsu said. "And this way, they get to use methods they normally couldn't, right?"

That didn't seem right. But then, the police were only the good guys when they couldn't fuck you over, Naruto guessed.

"Our first priority will be finding, and returning, Konohamaru," Sasuke said.

"Another rescue mission?" Suigetsu said. "Shit."

Karin said, "It'll take even me some time to find which of his bases Orochimaru's occupying."

Juugo raised his head, and frowned. The eggs sizzled.

"What if Orochimaru doesn't have Konohamaru?" Sasuke said. "He's not the only one with reasons to target Sarutobi."

"Yes, but we've already checked Jiraiya out," Karin said, "and everyone knows what _he's_ up to now."

Sasuke turned to Naruto. "The necklace," he said, and held out his hand.

"At least speak in full sentences," Naruto grumbled. He put down the fork and reached behind, clumsily undoing the clasp. He held the necklace out with some reservation, watching uneasily as it passed from his hands to Sasuke's.

Sasuke held it up; in the kitchen, the blue turned the sea-green of picturesque beaches.

"Recognize this?" he said.

Karin straightened. "_She_ survived, too?" she said. She looked offended, like people didn't have the right to exist unless she knew about it, too.

"Who?" Juugo said.

"That's her's! Lady Tsunade's!" Karin pushed her glasses up. "I don't believe it!"

Juugo looked impressed. Suigetu flipped a butter knife from finger to finger and said only, "Hey, Sasuke, give me my plate back."

Naruto pushed his own towards Suigetsu. "Is it that hard to stay hidden?" he said.

"Not really," Karin said. "It depends on how dedicated people are. You, for example--"

Yesterday, it had been a finger; today Karin pointed with her fork. Naruto looked at the sharp tines, and said, "Er."

"Sasuke couldn't find _you_ until he teamed up with me," she said, a picture of modesty.

"Please," Naruto said, "put that fork down."

Sasuke said, "Could you find Tsunade?"

"Yes," Karin said immediately. She lowered her arm and used the fork for what it was meant for: eating, not threatening innocent blonds. "Of course, it'll take some time. But I'm very dedicated," she added in a purr.

"_Right_," Naruto said, and got up to take over frying the eggs. It meant he was on the other side of the room from Karin.

"Fine. So Karin finds Tsunade, and then we rescue Konohamaru?" Suigetsu said. "And what do we do in the meantime? Bum around? You don't pay me enough for that."

"Relax," Sasuke said. "We have Orochimaru to deal with, too."

And then Juugo said, "So you're really going against Orochimaru, huh," with a voice suddenly full of steel.

Karin snapped her head up.

Silence filled the kitchen.

Naruto opened his mouth--and closed it, because Sasuke had stepped in front of him. Juugo was completely still. He was watching all of them, somehow, not just with his two eyes but with his entire body. He was more than two meters of coiled energy, waiting for--

A wrong movement. A misspoken word.

It was suddenly very, terribly obvious to Naruto that they were in a kitchen. There was the knife-rack by the sink, the plates and cutlery on the table, the mortar and pestle in the corner. There were chairs, and plenty of heavy, blunt objects under the sink.

But we have the advantage. It's four against one, Naruto thought, and then: Yes, but _why_?

Suigetsu said, "I _told_ you we shouldn't have--"

"Be quiet," Sasuke said. "Juugo? If you want to leave, you can. Just remember that you were the one who decided to join our team."

"Are you crazy?" Suigetsu asked. "You think he's going to listen to that!?"

Naruto saw Suigetsu's gaze cut towards the knives on the table.

With his other eye, the one in his mind, he saw a completely different yet somehow similar scene: Gaara, and him, and that corpse, and a tension pulled so tight even the air was stretched.

That had gone wrong. This wouldn't.

He said, "Why don't I make tea?"

Suigetsu said, "You're even crazier!"

Karin said, "_Tea_?"

But Naruto wasn't looking at them; he was looking past Sasuke's shoulders, at Juugo. "Look, I don't really get what's going on," he said. "But you have a decision to make, right? And it would be a lot easier with some tea."

He bent down; Sasuke had dropped the necklace. He picked it up and put it on again, shooting the other man an annoyed glare. "Be more careful with my things, you bastard."

He turned the dial on the stove; the flame died. Then he turned around, palms out, hands in full view, and said: "So, tea?"

Four sets of eyes fell on Juugo, and they waited.

When he said, "Tea would be nice," the whole room seemed to breathe.

"Cool," Naruto said. "Is the water in this place filtered?"

"Yes," Sasuke said. The single word was stuffed with a thousand questions.

"Okay," Naruto said. "I'll just use water from the tap, then. And meanwhile, you guys can go chill in the living room."

When no one moved, he pointed out, "It has less pointy objects in it."

It was Sasuke that finally moved first. He picked up the plates; he walked towards the sink and rinsed them, then put them aside. It was ridiculously casual, and normal, and it calmed Naruto down.

As he brushed by, Sasuke whispered, "Thanks," in Naruto's ear. Juugo went next, and then Suigetsu and Karin. For once, the two were totally focused on Juugo intead of each other.

Naruto said, "Huh," and made sure no one was looking before he collapsed onto his seat.

He counted slowly to himself; at thirty-seven, Sasuke's low voice filtered into the kitchen, muted by distance. Only then did he get up to find the kettle.

Juugo's eyes....

They'd been exactly like Gaara's.

It was a chapter of his life he considered firmly closed. He'd never expected to be reminded of it like that. Naruto stood to fill the kettle, and wondered about Sasuke's little team.

They were all, he decided, creepy as fuck. But kind of nice, each in their own way. Even Karin. Besides, he liked her hair.

And that's all there is to it, Naruto thought, and turned off the tap. Through the door, he heard their voices--Sasuke's, and Karin's, and Suigetsu's, and Juugo's. Hopefully, they were sorting shit out.

But he'd better make the tea extra-good, just in case.

* * *

When he came into the living room with the tray, only Suigetsu was there, looking bored as he fiddled with--

Well. There were lots of plastic bits, and wires, and Naruto probably didn't actually want to know what it was.

"Where's, um--"

"Sasuke and Juugo are talking outside. Karin's sulking," Suigetsu said. He looked suspiciously at the tea.

"You don't _have_ to drink it," Naruto said defensively.

Suigetsu put the mysterious thing down. It beeped. "You're probably wondering what was up with that, huh?"

"Yeah," Naruto said.

"Sasuke found us all through Orochimaru," Suigetsu explained. "I'm in it for the money, Karin's in it 'cause she's a bitch in heat, and Juugo--"

He broke off, putting in even more sugar than Naruto normally did. "Juugo doesn't know," he finished.

Naruto sat down next to him and watched him stir. "You guys are a team though, right?" he said.

Suigetsu shrugged. "We all listen to Sasuke," he said. "How'd you do that?"

"What?" Naruto said.

Suigetsu looked at him over the teacup. "That thing with Juugo. I've never seen him calm down so fast, 'cept when Sasuke really starts yelling."

Oh. "Um. I went to this boarding school when I was younger," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. "And my room-mate was... a bit violent. I mean, we were both bad, but he was worse."

"And you got used to calming him the fuck down?" Suigetsu said.

"No. I got used to _wishing_ I could calm him the fuck down," Naruto corrected him. "And, hey, don't drink _all_ of the tea--"

The door opened. Sasuke entered, Juugo a step behind. Neither was smiling, but Juugo no longer resembled a walking time-bomb, and Sasuke's habitual frown had lessened.

They must have gone out in just their usual clothes. Had they wanted privacy that bad?

"Tea?" Naruto said. "It'll warm you up."

Sasuke ignored him. "Suigetsu. Go with Karin and start getting information on Tsunade."

"Fine," Naruto said. He pouted.

"I'll have tea," Juugo offered gently.

Naruto brightened. "Sure."

Suigetsu was scowling, baring his teeth like he was a dog or a shark or something. "What? You're sending us out alone? We don't even get along!"

Sasuke looked at Juugo, and then back at Suigetsu. "It's time you _learn_ to get along," he said.

Suigetsu said, "Shit, _fine_," and stood.

"I want _results_, Suigetsu," Sasuke called after him.

Suigetsu yelled back a rude reply. Naruto, impressed, said, "Wow."

He observed Juugo, calmly sipping tea as if the incident in the kitchen had never occured. He noticed Juugo's big hands, his obvious strength, and really, all he could think of was Hinata's gentle nature.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yes. That won't happen again," Juugo replied.

Whatever that was supposed to mean. Naruto poured a cup for himself and Sasuke. "So what do we do while Suigetsu and Karin are--"

Sasuke didn't let him finish. Naruto said, "_Hey_, let go of me--"

Sasuke didn't listen, just dragged him all the way to the master bedroom. The door banged against the wall, and then right into its frame. It shuddered.

"Sasuke... what the hell?" Naruto said.

"I'm going to see Orochimaru," Sasuke said.

Naruto stilled. "_Why_?"

"I don't _think_ he has Konohamaru," Sasuke said, "but I need to make sure."

"O-kay," Naruto said doubtfully. "I take back what I said. You're a shitty liar."

"Shut up and listen to me," Sasuke said. "I'm leaving you with Juugo. I don't want to, but--"

"Then don't," Naruto said.

"I have to," Sasuke said.

Naruto thunked his head against the wall and stared up, imagining he could see the sky through the ceiling. "I've been wondering," he said, "for a while. Since that phone call. You remember."

Sasuke obviously did, by his darkening expression.

"What exactly is the deal between you and Orochimaru?" Naruto asked. "It's like you're with him and against him at the same time."

"... Sarutobi sabotaged most of my efforts to track you down," Sasuke said. "Orochimaru helped me."

Right. The team. "So what, you--work for him? Made a deal with him?" Naruto guessed.

Sasuke's lip curled. "As if I could work for him," he said.

"So you made a deal with him," Naruto said.

No answer: Just a sudden cessation of movement.

"What does he have on you, Sasuke?" he asked. "What the hell was worth finding _me_?"

Sasuke breathed in, slowly. His grip on Naruto tightened, until Naruto could swear his bones creaked.

Sasuke met Naruto's eyes and said, "My brother."


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Meet and Greet

**Crown & Anchor**  
by Nilladriel

_I started this fic in February. Five and a half months have passed, and with this chapter, C&A has (finally!) hit 50,000 words. I seriously hope it won't take me another half year to finish this fic, though. D:_

**Chapter Thirteen: Meet and Greet**

Naruto didn't understand.

_My brother_, Sasuke had said, and it was such a simple, heavy phrase.

They were close enough that their breaths curled together. Naruto studied the curve of an eyelid, dropped his gaze past a straight nose to thin lips that twisted with unhappiness.

Sasuke looked like he was in pain.

Naruto said, "Your brother?"

Sasuke let go of his hand. Naruto rubbed absently at his wrist and opened his mouth to ask again--_What the fuck do you mean, your brother?_--when Sasuke dropped his head against Naruto's shoulder and pressed closer.

A single moment of vulnerability.

Then he was gone and at the door before Naruto could even react. He said, "I'll be back soon."

Naruto opened his mouth, closed it. "What the--_wait_."

Sasuke didn't listen, so Naruto dashed forward and grabbed his collar, probably choking him in the process but _who cared_?

"What do you mean, your brother?" he demanded.

Sasuke made a strangled sound. Naruto said, "Right," and let go. He didn't apologize. The bastard deserved to be choked. "So? Does Orochimaru have your brother? Crime lords have a fetish for keeping people hostage, is that it?"

Sasuke put one hand on the door and the other at his neck, making an odd noise that might have been laughter were it not so miserable. "No," he said. "No, I didn't mean it like that. Itachi's--"

He stopped.

Naruto raised his hand; it hovered near Sasuke's neck, his fingertips a half-centimeter away from skin.

"Itachi's dead," Sasuke said. "He's dead. Hard to use a dead man as hostage."

"Sounds like Orochimaru's managing it to me," Naruto said. He shoved past his hesitation and put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke stiffened, but he let Naruto turn him around. He was pale, and his mouth described a thin line.

"You," Naruto said, "and your damn secrets."

He pressed a hand against the back of Sasuke's neck. Sasuke went willingly, except that Naruto didn't kiss him.

Hugs were more Sakura's thing, but it seemed the right time for them. Sasuke, less used to physical contact than even Naruto, never quite relaxed.

"My parents don't know," Sasuke said at last.

"That your brother's dead?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Wouldn't they know that sort of thing?"

"No," Sasuke said. "That's not what I meant."

He was trying to step away, so Naruto pulled him closer and held him tighter. Against his skin Sasuke's muscles were tense. He held his hands fisted at his sides, like he wanted to punch someone. Hopefully not Naruto.

It was very, very quiet in the house. Suigetsu and Karin must have left already. Naruto vaguely recalled hearing the roar of a motorcycle. Juugo was probably doing something vaguely menacing, like existing. Hopefully everyone had at least finished the tea.

Ah. Good. Sasuke had stopped quivering. He was still stiff as a board, though. Someday Naruto would teach him that, as much as Sasuke might want to play the part of the cool, stoic ass from some Asian drama, it was actually okay once in a while to show emotion. Hell, it might even be healthy. He relaxed his grip, ran his palms up Sasuke's back.

This was why Sakura liked hugs so much, he guessed. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but it was--

Naruto breathed in. Sasuke smelled of expensive cologne, and possibly of hair gel.

"If you really have to see Orochimaru," Naruto said. "Go see him."

He let go.

Sasuke didn't move, though. This time it was Sasuke running his hands down Naruto's back, stopping to rest at his hips. He leaned forward.

Three words. Just three words, quiet and flat against Naruto's ear. Each one hit him harder than a dropping anchor.

Unbelieving, he said, "You--what are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Sasuke finally stepped back, fingers regretfully skimming Naruto's sides. As if he hadn't just uttered an impossible secret.

Only then did he leave. Half-way through shutting the door, he paused. "My cell phone," he said, and pulled it out. Naruto took it numbly. It was a touch-screen, the kind of quietly complicated electronic that was probably more powerful than the beat-up computer Naruto used in his office.

He said, "Uh."

"Naruto," Sasuke said. "One last thing."

"What?" Naruto glanced up. Through the slit of space defined by the door and its frame, he couldn't make out Sasuke's expression. He felt suddenly cold.

"What I'm going to try to do probably won't work."

"This have something to do with that talk you and Juugo had?"

Sasuke said, "Yes."

Naruto cycled through a range of not-all-that-appropriate responses. He settled for a dry, "Try not to get too badly hurt," and a grin that was somehow real.

For a moment Sasuke didn't reply. Then he said, "You too," and closed the door. Naruto, cell phone in hand, was left standing alone, those three words echoing in his head.

* * *

With only Naruto and Juugo in the house, it seemed bigger.

There wasn't much to do. Naruto didn't dare touch Karin's room, and he dared even less to go outside. He'd rather be killed by boredom than cold, thank you very much.

He was close to changing his mind, though.

The day passed slowly. Naruto raided the kitchen; lunch was whatever instant food he could find. No ramen, which was a crime that took three full hours to get over, and then only because Karin and Suigetsu came back.

Naruto opened the front door, watching Karin swerve to a stop. Suigetsu staggered off the back of the motorcycle with the pale, waxy expression of a survivor. Karin just looked pleased, tucking her helmet underneath and arm and asking what was for dinner.

Naruto looked at Suigetsu. "Something that won't feel too bad coming up the other way, I guess."

"I am not going to throw up!" Suigetsu snapped, and then put a hand over his mouth and looked green.

"I was just playing around," Karin said, looking even more pleased. "It was a long ride back," she explained to Naruto. Then she frowned, remembering that she didn't like him. "Where's Sasuke?"

"Went off to see Orochimaru," Naruto said shortly, thinking of the phone he'd left in the master bedroom.

"What?"

Karin and Suigetsu straightened. Or at least, Karin straightened, and Suigetsu made a valiant attempt.

Neither looked happy, though Naruto suspected Suigetsu's concern had more to do with him trying not to be sick rather than any alarm on Sasuke's behalf.

"I knew it. _I knew it._ We should have given you to that snake bastard and--"

She slammed her hand down on the table. It trembled. Naruto took a step back behind Suigetsu, which was rather like hiding behind a crumbling wall during a hurricane but made him feel better anyway.

The sound at least summoned Juugo. He opened the door to the living room and looked back and forth between them. His expression was serene as always, but--

"Welcome back."

--something was slightly off.

"Why the fuck did Sasuke go off to see Orochimaru?" Karin demanded.

Juugo supported Suigetsu, grasping his upper arm. "There's some tea left. Or maybe you could make some more," he said, looking at Naruto. Naruto shrugged.

"Juugo!"

"He's off to convince Orochimaru of his loyalty. Yes, I know," Juugo added at Karin's dumb-founded expression. "That's what he _said_."

"Shit!"

"Aw, leave off it. He can take care of himself." Suigetsu looked piteously at Naruto. "Tea?"

"Right, sure," Naruto said, thoughtful.

"_No._ You're coming with me."

Suigetsu stared at Karin as if she'd just asked him to marry her. "What?"

"We did what he asked. We found Tsunade," she bit out. "So now we're going to find Orochimaru."

"You ain't ordering me around, you bi--"

The helmet hit the wall by Suigetsu's head. Flecks of paint drifted to the floor. Even Juugo looked surprised, staring at the helmet like he was wondering where it had come from. His gaze followed the gloved hand, the slim arm, all the way to Karin's furious expression.

He said, "Hm."

"You. Are coming. With me," Karin said. "And we're going to find Orochimaru."

Naruto, still by the front entrance and therefore safe from harm, grinned at Suigetsu. "It's okay! I'll pack your tea," he said.

"You see?" Karin smiled at Suigetsu. "It's called compromise."

She put the helmet back on. There was a half-inch dent in the wall. Suigetsu examined it carefully. "Yeah, sure," he said. "We'll go."

* * *

Karin and Suigetsu returning, and then leaving again, was like a rock in a day otherwise flowing with boredom. It didn't take long for Naruto to retreat to the master bedroom.

He didn't watch TV, never really saw the point in it, but now he wished there was one. He just wished something would _happen_.

He rolled onto his stomach. Sasuke's fancy-ass cell phone glinted at him. He had managed to turn it on; a few minutes of fiddling had brought him to the contact list, which included _Father_, _Mom_, and no _Itachi_ or even _Brother_, because apparently he was dead, and dead men don't have numbers.

Sakura's number was above Suigetsu's.

What was she doing right now? Having fun with her family, hopefully, and not getting caught up in any giant fuck-ups. Naruto let his head fall onto the mattress, smushing his nose against wrinkled covers. He should make the bed.

He should also call Sakura. No--he _wanted_ to call Sakura. Although he'd probably change his mind after he told her what had gone down.

"It's not like I'm afraid of her, or anything," he told the bed. Outside, the wind whistled, like it was calling him out on his lie.

He threw his legs off the bed and picked up the phone. It vibrated when he tapped the call button. OUTGOING CALL flashed at him. With a sigh, Naruto brought it to his ear.

A few seconds later Sakura said, "Hi! You have _no idea_ how good it is to hear from you!" in a small, excited voice Naruto had never heard before. He rolled his eyes.

"Sorry," he said. "It's me."

There was a long, drawn out pause, like an expanding balloon of disappointment. Naruto looked out the window. Beyond the fence were trees, the clouds heavy and angry right above them. It was the kind of landscape students would have struggled to draw.

"Oh."

That was it. Naruto had expected yelling, or a painful lecture. He stared blankly at the wall. Why wasn't she angry?

No, wait. He'd called Sakura... two days ago.

Two days. Had it only been two days? Wow.

"Oh," Sakura repeated, like a stuttering iPod. "Okay. Right. Naruto... you're in Wave, aren't you?"

"Yes?" Naruto guessed.

"Did you see Sarutobi?"

"Yes." Unfortunately.

"Great! I hope it went well." Naruto snorted. He opened his mouth, and--

"Why are you calling from Sasuke's phone? Weren't you two not talking? And why didn't you call?"

"It's complicated." Naruto threw his mind back over the past few days, shook his head. "And fucked-up. Sarutobi stole my damn phone."

Naruto could imagine Sakura's expression: the tilt of her mouth, her eyes, the way she must have scrunched up her nose. "_What_?"

"But he drugged me before that," Naruto added helpfully.

Sakura said, "What?" again, and then: "I'll be there as soon as--"

"Don't. I don't want you in danger. This whole mess is screwed up enough."

"In danger? And that's supposed to keep me away? Listen, Naruto, if you think I'm going to sit on my ass while you're in trouble, you're an idiot." A pause. "Well. You're already one. _More_ of an idiot."

"Thanks," Naruto said, "for the compliment."

"You're welcome," Sakura said brightly. "So?"

Naruto explained, as best as he could, what had happened: the drugging, being trapped in that old house, the rescue. ("Not that I wouldn't have gotten out eventually," Naruto said, and Sakura just said, "Right.") He didn't tell her about the hug.

After that, he didn't know how to continue. He could sum up the bit about the hotel in a single sentence--_we got my luggage, found out Anko was out looking for me, and went._ And afterwards he'd say, _To Sasuke's vacation house,_ and they'd dedicate a few minutes to not believing Sasuke owned a fucking vacation home, that rich bastard.

He could see it so clearly, but it wasn't coming out. Outside he could see it was beginning to drizzle. Inside it was just quiet, because Naruto had stopped talking.

Sakura finally urged him on. "So? What happened after you played at ninja and broke out?"

"We...." Naruto shook his head. He skipped the hotel. "We're camping at Sasuke's, um, vacation home right now," Naruto said. He rubbed his temple with his knuckles. "I found out a lot of stuff. I don't know, I don't really get it, it's confusing."

"Of course it is," Sakura said encouragingly, the way she had at college while they worked their way through homework. "Take your time explaining."

There was a shuffle; Naruto heard a voice--a woman's voice--call Sakura to eat. Apparently they were having fried chicken. Huh. Funny. Naruto had had fried chicken yesterday.

"Should I go?" Naruto said, suddenly uncomfortably aware that Sakura was visiting family. And now that same family was having lunch.

"What? No, I told Mom she can wait," Sakura said dismissively. "You're more important." She added, in a softer tone, "So? What did you learn?"

Naruto thought about his Dad, about how being the pet lackey of infamous big shots apparently meant you deserved to be killed in front of your son. He thought about Konohamaru, who was kidnapped still. He thought about his home and wondered if it would be the same when he came back, if it really had been messed with.

What came out was, "Since when did you own a drug ring?"

"I don't." The words came automatically. Realization must have staggered in late, because when Sakura said, "Who told you?" she sounded shaken.

She probably hadn't expected that. Naruto hadn't, either.

He said, "Anko." Sakura knew who Anko was. She liked the stories Naruto told about her. Naruto didn't. They often involved him getting hurt in some way.

"That means Sarutobi... but why would he care? Our operations are outside his territory."

Naruto had a feeling Sakura was talking to herself more than him. "Sakura," he reminded her. "Drug ring?"

"I told you, it's not mine," Sakura said. "I just sell them."

She said it matter-of-factly, the way Neji might call up his PI or Kiba might drop too many bills on the counter at a bar.

Naruto pressed the flat of his palm against his forehead. "Fine," he said. "It's fine. I don't really care." Which was a lie, but. "Just be careful."

"We will," Sakura said. "I'll tell Tsunade as soon as I come back."

It was the second time that day blank incomprehension settled over Naruto. He just looked out the window, not really understanding. The sky was darkening as the rain fell more heavily, transforming from a drizzle to a miniature flood. It was as if evening were coming early.

Naruto took a deep breath. "Tsunade? You mean Tsunade, one of the legendary three?"

"Do you know her?" Sakura asked, surprised.

"Sasuke thinks she kidnapped Konohamaru," he said. "Could you, um, ask?" Hope was blooming in his chest. He got up to switch the lights on.

"... Yes," Sakura said finally. "Yes, Naruto. I'll ask my boss if she's _kidnapped_ someone."

"Please?" Naruto said. "It would really help with Sarutobi. Then I can just deal with Orochimaru. Look, it's hard to explain, but--" His groping hand found the switch; the room flooded with light.

There was a sound--like the hard _fwush_ of a fabric through air.

Glass shattered. That _fwush_ came again, only it wasn't that at all, it'd been a distant _bang_.

Naruto threw himself to the floor. The door banged open a second later, with no one behind it, but from the hall Juugo said urgently, "Through here!"

Someone was screaming his name. Sakura, Naruto realized. He'd dropped the phone. He left it where it was and went for the door on his elbows and knees, like a kid playing soldier. He hoped water wasn't enough to destroy Sasuke's phone, because if he had to replace it, it would cost him a kidney. Maybe both.

Why am I worrying about his _phone_? Naruto thought. He reached the hallway. It was completely dark, the walls gray and bleak.

"Why," Naruto said, "did someone just _shoot our window_?"

"That would be Kidomaru," Juugo said. "I wonder how many there are? Here." A moment later Naruto was staring at a bread knife. The serrated edges gleamed. It didn't look like a bread knife anymore. It looked like a weapon.

"What's this for?" he asked. His voice came out like a croak.

"Just in case." Juugo sounded serene. It wasn't Juugo anymore, though. He looked happy. No, that wasn't the right word. He looked _eager_. It was the kind of expression that suggested being shot at was the perfect turn of events for gloomy Sunday afternoons.

Outside, thunder boomed, sounding more like gunshots than the actual gunshots had. Naruto jumped.

He heard, again, glass shattering. Juugo cocked his head, deeply interested. Naruto looked right, left, and then right again, and wished he was a cow or a bird or anything else with 360 degree vision, please. The bread knife, half a foot of deadly metal, felt grossly inadequate. Not when, what's-his-name, Kidomaru, had a _gun_.

"Stay here," Juugo said. He'd reached the door to the living room. When had his voice ever been that deep?

He was suddenly very gone. Naruto heard a breathless sound, the kind someone might make if, say, 80 kilograms of murderous intent slammed into them.

Naruto stayed in the hallway, feeling like an obedient dog. He wondered if Juugo would be alright. He was a professional. But the guys attacking them were probably professionals, too, and what if there were more?

_I wonder how many there are_, Juugo had said, like it didn't matter. Naruto thought hard, clutching the knife. There had to be at least two. Juugo had hit one, and there'd been another shooting at the windows....

His shoulder hurt. This was an afterthought of afterthoughts. Later it would be important, but now there were more immediate matters to deal with.

Shouldn't have turned on that light, Naruto thought disgustedly. He looked at the bedroom, and remembered the phone he'd left in there. In the living room, someone made a strangled noise. Someone else was laughing.

Not the fake, maniacal kind from movies. This was breathless, the kind that edged out during strenuous exercise. Like running hard on the road.

--Or, say, choking someone else to death.

Naruto didn't know which noise he preferred Juugo to be making. He made himself think about the bedroom instead.

Would it be safe to go in there? Being near windows of any kind was probably a bad idea right now, but if he could get the phone, contact Karin or Suigetsu or Sasuke--contact _anyone_--then maybe....

The decision was taken neatly out of his hands when Karin's bedroom door flew off its hinges.

She's going to be pissed, Naruto thought, and leapt. Forward, not back, and his mind was stuck on _what the fuck am I doing_ even as he ran towards the invader.

It was a fat man. He had red hair. He also had a gun, a little automatic that looked delicate and out of place in his hand. Naruto had his bread knife.

Juugo was still laughing in the living room.

It happened very fast. Later he would recall a blur of motion, _gogogo_, and--

A blow to his shoulder. Falling, and the flash-burn of agony.

Shit, Naruto thought, and then a leg snapped forward and he was two, three feet back, gasping and hurting.

He couldn't get up. His shoulder screamed, and his arm. Naruto looked up. His attacker had brown eyes, and he was frowning.

Naruto focused on the gun.

He'd stared one down before, when he was twelve. No, that was wrong. He'd been staring at his father's back, at broad shoulders set firm, and then suddenly that same strong body had crumpled and Naruto had seen the gun.

That gun had been held by trembling hands, hands that belonged to a young boy with wide green eyes.

"No, that's wrong," Naruto said. The attacker stopped, but Naruto was speaking to the past, to memories that refused to settle.

He was calm. No, he wasn't calm. He was terrified and angry. He was going to die. He refused to die.

His hand moved on its own. The blade sank in easy, disgustingly easy. It must have been sharpened recently.

No. Something was wrong. Beyond that thin layer of calm, beyond the mess of fear and confusion that ruled Naruto's mind, he realized this: that man had fired the gun. That man had fired the gun, and he'd been aiming at Naruto, and Naruto couldn't feel his shoulder.

Another realization: Juugo had stopped laughing.

He was--in the hallway. Back in the hallway, and in front of Naruto.

Because Juugo was there, Naruto knew suddenly that he was safe. He'd done his part--he'd sank half a foot of metal into someone else's gut. Good boy, he thought to himself, and pressed back into the wall. He clutched his shoulder and ducked his head. It wasn't that he didn't want to watch. It was that he was seeing two entirely different scenes.

He eyes registered, like they might note background music, the shadows dancing on the wall, though, like an obscene puppet show.

Juugo was laughing again.

The gunshot was sudden, and sharper and higher than the one that had killed his father all those years ago. It was punctuation; afterwards there was just a vacuum of noise, surrounded by the regular beat of the rain.

"I killed him," Juugo said, and giggled like a child.

Good boy, Naruto thought, and fought the urge to echo that terrible giggle. He fought to the surface, dragging himself back to the present, to a _now_ that was suddenly elusive. "There's one more outside," he whispered to the floor.

"I'm going to kill him, too," Juugo said. Naruto looked at him.

He looked the same--still clean, his clothes somewhat disordered but otherwise untouched. The blood had missed them. There was a nasty bruise on his arm, but otherwise the only evidence to what he'd just done was the corpse at his feet.

No. Not yet a corpse. He was making sounds, still, quiet gasping sounds that Naruto hadn't heard above the rain.

Naruto looked at the body blankly. He said, "He's not dead."

Bringing his hand down from his shoulder, he looked at the blood streaked across his fingers. A graze, he thought. No, not even that. Because if that bullet had hit him--

"He's not dead?" Juugo said, and looked surprised. He picked up the gun on the floor. Naruto looked away. The booming thunder covered the sound of Juugo correcting his mistake.

Afterwards Juugo said, "Maybe I shouldn't kill Kidomaru."

"Sure," Naruto said, weary. "Why not?"

"Because he's not a girl," Juugo said. "It wouldn't fit the pattern."

"Sure," Naruto said again, not listening. He stepped towards the bedroom, stopped. He couldn't go in there, not when there was a window. He might not get away with such a light wound, this time.

It struck him as suddenly unfair that he even had to think about this.

"Girl, boy, girl," Juugo said. "That's better, right?"

"What the fuck," Naruto said, "are you talking about?"

He was angry. He was angry, because he'd been shot at twice, because his shoulder hurt, because there was apparently a dead girl in the living room and a dead man just three feet away and because--

Because anger was easier.

"It's better," Juugo said, dreamily.

Because _this_ was better, this sudden red haze fit, he was angry and somehow, somehow it was Kidomaru's fault. Naruto didn't know why but this made perfect sense. It was Kidomaru's fault, so Kidomaru had to go. Who was Kidomaru? Didn't matter.

Something else, something now small and scared underneath the fury said, _No_. It was over-ruled.

Naruto looked up and took a deep breath that didn't calm him at all. "Juugo, for fuck's sake, just shut up and get out there and kill the fool so I can get to that phone and call call the rest of your team, okay?"

Juugo looked back at him, slightly shocked. "But Kidomaru's not a girl, and if I'm going to kill boys now, you're closer."

He said this reasonably, because it was logical, or at least logical for the Juugo of right now. Naruto stared back and thought suddenly of Gaara.

"Juugo," he said. "Kidomaru. _Go._"

He remembered Gaara, how those slim fingers had curled around that gun, how he'd pulled the trigger and said, _I didn't mean to._

Now Naruto was Gaara, and Juugo was that gun, and afterwards, if Naruto even spoke about it at all, he'd probably have to say, _I meant to_, because anything else would be bullshit.

He sat down, putting his arms around his knees like he had in that motel bathroom months ago. This time, he didn't shake, just quietly waited.

He wondered if Sakura had hung up yet, and how much she'd heard.s


End file.
